PROVO, UTAH - The LIU volleyball team had a near win over Big Sky Foe Southern Utah Saturday night at the BYU Invitational. The Sharks won the first and fourth set to force a decisive fifth set, dropping the match by a narrow four-point margin, 3-2 (20-25, 25-18, 25-18, 15-25, 15-11).
 
LIU (0-3) was led by strong performances from multiple Sharks. Senior Jovana Stekovic had a team high 14 kills and 11 digs, while Miranda Strongman had 11 kills and two service aces. Sophomore setters Ainsley Malis and Allie Merz had 24 and 13 assists respectively, and Malis notched her first double double of the season with 11 digs as well. And senior Anastasia Scott led the defense with 21 digs, along with seven assists.
 
LIU led the first set wire to wire opening with kills from Strongman, Barbora Hoskova and  Stekovic to go up, 4-0. Though Southern Utah would come close a few times, LIU maintained the lead, and used a kill from Strongman to clinch set one, 25-20.
 
Set two was more of a battle, as the two squads went back and forth. The Thunderbirds took the lead with help from a 5-0 run that gave them a 20-15 lead. LIU closed the gap, but not enough, as back-to-back points gave SUU the 25-18 set two win. The third set following a similar pattern as the Thunderbirds built momentum with runs, eventually taking set three, 25-18, and the 2-1 match lead.
 
Set four went to the Sharks, with some help from their opponents, as early errors gave LIU a wide lead. The two teams went back and forth, but LIU ended the set on a 9-0 run. Stekovic had back-to-back kills, freshman Katie Berg had two kills in the run, and the pair combined for a big block that gave LIU set point. Merz had two service aces, including one that would clinch the 25-15 set win for the Sharks, and force a fifth set.
 
In the fifth, Southern Utah jumped out to a 12-6 run, but LIU would battle back to close the gap to 13-11. But the momentum stayed with the Thunderbirds, and two-straight kills for SUU gave them the 15-11 set win, and the 3-2 match victory.
 
Up next, the Sharks ready to hit the road for the Temple Invitational in Philadelphia. There, LIU will take om Maryland, Iona and host Temple in three games from Sept. 3-4.