Late Surge Comes Up Just Short as Thunderbirds Fall to UC Riverside

CEDAR CITY, UTAH — Southern Utah ended its non-conference slate for 2026 on Saturday, losing to the UC Riverside Highlanders 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-21) despite a late push that nearly saw the Thunderbirds force a fourth set. After the match, Coach Danielle Jensen said: Both teams started the match a bit on edge, with eight of the 12 total service errors coming in the first set alone, but as the Thunderbirds settled in, they managed to build a slim 13-12 lead. Then a 5-0 scoring run by the Highlanders swung the momentum, and even when Southern Utah managed to scratch…