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Utah Tech University Athletics

VB 2021 - SUU Recap 2
Stan Plewe/Utah Tech Athletics
1
Southern Utah SUU 4-8,0-0 Big Sky
3
Winner Dixie St. Dixie 1-7,0-0 WAC
Southern Utah SUU
4-8,0-0 Big Sky
1
Final
3
Dixie St. Dixie
1-7,0-0 WAC
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Southern Utah SUU 26 25 14 11 (1)
Dixie St. Dixie 28 23 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | By DSU Athletics Media Relations

Trailblazers claim first win with 3-1 triumph over SUU

Head Coach Camilla Hafoka earns first career win

The Dixie State volleyball team earned its first victory of the fall 2021 season on Saturday, battling to a 3-1 win over Southern Utah inside the Burns Arena.
 
The win, which marks the first career victory for head coach Camilla Hafoka, perfectly summed up the highs and lows of the first few weeks of the season and the Trailblazers' search for their first triumph. A giant rally to storm back and win the first set. A small setback in the second set. And dominance in the final two sets to emerge victorious.
 
"Our players understand that this is a journey and it's going to take time to build our culture," Hafoka said. "We're at the beginning of building this program and there's going to be some rough patches before you're great. But I saw grit tonight. I saw our players working together as a team. They were communicating and they were aggressive. That's why we won tonight."
 
Dixie State jumped out to an 8-3 lead in the first set, using a block by Kate Hardy and Hannah Howard, coupled with a pair of Southern Utah errors, to build the early advantage. The Thunderbirds countered with a with a 6-1 run to tie the game at 9-9. The set went back and from there until SUU used another 6-1 run to take a 17-12 lead. DSU fought back to within 18-16, but SUU answered with a 6-3 spurt to get to 24-19. Within one point of dropping the first set, the Trailblazers responded with a furious rally to take a 25-24 lead. The Thunderbirds fended off two consecutive DSU set points, but the third time was the charm for the Trailblazers as Whittnee Nihipali gave DSU a 28-26 triumph with a service ace.
 
The Trailblazers looked to take a 2-0 lead in the second set, and battled to a 15-10 advantage midway through the frame. But SUU had other plans, jumping back in front at 18-17 with a 7-1 run. DSU would pull back even at 19-19, but the Thunderbirds closed the set on a 6-4 run to earn a 25-23 win and tie the match at 1-1.
 
Dixie State quickly put the second set behind it, and dominated the third frame en route to a 25-14 victory to take a 2-1 lead. The Trailblazers built an 8-2 lead and never looked back as their lead never dipped below five points throughout the remainder of the set. DSU hit .273 in the set, while holding SUU to -.119 and recording four total blocks along the way. Hardy led the DSU effort in the set with five kills and two block assists.
 
The Trailblazers continued their dominance in the fourth set, turning an 8-8 tie into a 20-8 lead with a 12-0 run that saw 11 consecutive serves and two aces from Jordyn Nelson. The Thunderbirds notched the next point to stop the run, but the damage was done. DSU scored five of the final seven points to grab a 25-11 win in the set and complete its quest for the first win of season.
 
Dixie State recorded 49 kills as a team and posted a season-best .200 hitting percentage to go with season-high marks in digs (84) and total blocks (13). The Trailblazers enjoyed a balanced attack offensively, as Howard led with 11 kills, while Nihipali finished with 10 kills, and Hardy and Megan Treanor each added nine kills. Defensively, Hardy added five block assists, while Bridgett Talia posted eight total blocks, including three solo stops.
 
DSU will open Western Athletic Conference play next week, hosting Grand Canyon on Thursday and New Mexico State on Saturday.
 
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