After losing to Northern Arizona University on Nov. 3, Weber State University volleyball swept Southern Utah University 3–0 on the final home match on Senior Night.
Seniors Ciera Borho and Megan Thompson were recognized before the Southern Utah match. After the game, both players spoke of what it has meant to be a part of Wildcat volleyball.
“It’s been amazing to be part of what has helped change this team. We’re fighters now, and that’s not something we’ve been in the past,” Thompson said.
Borho echoed that statement, saying, “We are really like a family, and I love that. These girls sent us out with a bang tonight.”
Head coach Jeremiah Larsen said that Thompson and Borho were hard-working players on the team. “When I got here, I didn’t feel like we had very good leadership in our team, so we worked on those two to make them into the leaders this team needed,” Larsen said. “The hard-working culture we have in place right now is the epitome of who they are.”
The Wildcats started strong, pulling out to a quick five-point lead to start the Nov. 3 game against Northern Arizona. NAU tied the game at eight points apiece before pulling ahead. Later in the set, Weber tied the score 21–21 and then 25–25. Northern Arizona scored a pair of points to win the first set 27–25.
The second set was a tight one. Neither team was able to establish a substantial lead early. Northern Arizona pulled ahead late, and despite a Wildcat comeback attempt, the Lumberjacks won the second set 25–20.
Northern Arizona commanded the third set. After pulling out to an early lead, Northern Arizona won the set 25–15 and won the match 3–0.
Head coach Jeremiah Larsen was proud of the enthusiasm his team showed against NAU but admitted that there were parts of their game that needed work.
“We did a really bad job in transition against NAU … that was our big focus moving forward, getting better in that aspect of the game,” Larsen said.
It was only fitting that on Senior Night, WSU’s two seniors would put Weber on the scoreboard early. Thompson and Borho both registered kills to give the Wildcats their first points.
The score remained close throughout most of the first set. After a brief timeout for an injured Thunderbird, Weber won the first set 25–21.
The second set started off close. Then after being tied at six points apiece, Weber ran away on a 10–1 scoring streak.
The third set was full of big hits from both sides. WSU pulled ahead early, but the Thunderbirds fought back to tie the game at 19–19. As tensions rose, Rebecca Nelson of Southern Utah received a yellow card, which, at the collegiate level, is essentially a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Wildcats powered through a Thunderbird rally and won the set with a score of 25–23.
Larsen was proud of his team’s play against the Thunderbirds.
“I felt like we lost focus in the third set a little bit. We got our focus back and finished strong,” Larsen said.
“Everyone did their job tonight, and we all came together and played with passion,” Thompson said of the team.
