FIRST SERVE
Thursday marked the Portland State volleyball team's first road win over the Montana Grizzlies since 2016.Saturday marked the Vikings' first road win over the Montana State Bobcats since 2017.
Together, the wins marked the Vikings' first road sweep of the Montana schools since 2013.
Now Tuesday gives the Vikings another opportunity for a rare win on the road, as Portland State invades The Nest, Sacramento State's home gym, where the Vikings have won just once since 2014. That win came last year, as the Vikings won the second of back-to-back road matches against the Hornets during both team's COVID-delayed spring season.
The win was something for the Vikings to relish at the time, but knowing this year's team, the Vikings will expect to win this time around. The Vikings head into Tuesday having won seven matches in a row, including their last five on the road. The Vikings have swept their last two road weekends, something they hadn't done since 2017 before this season. In addition to the Vikings' sweep in Montana, the Vikings didn't drop a set while beating Idaho and Eastern Washington earlier this season.
One of the reasons for the team's recent success on the road been its competitive DNA, which the Vikings showed repeatedly last weekend in their trip to Montana. The Vikings erased a 2-1 deficit to beat Montana in five sets Thursday, then saved six set points between the first and third sets while beating Montana State in four Saturday. The Vikings trailed by at least four points in both the first and third sets against the Bobcats, but won both thanks to that competitive drive.
Depth has also helped the Vikings turn matches around this season. An example of that came last weekend, as Ashleigh Barto and Zoe McBride tied for the team lead with 14 kills each against Montana Thursday, but then weren't needed Saturday against Montana State as they combined for only two kills against the Bobcats. Gabby Hollins filled in the void against the Bobcats, as she set a new season high with 18 kills to equal teammate Makayla Lewis for a match high.
Barto was the revelation Thursday against the Grizzlies, as she put together the best match of her young Viking career. Barto set or tied four different career highs in the match between 14 kills on .545 hitting, seven blocks and three aces. It all added up to 21.5 points for Barto, seven points more than she's had in any other match of her career.
Depth has also meant that Vikings haven't had issue bouncing between a 5-1 and 6-2 at times this season. The Vikings have played both formations in an equal number of Big Sky matches, so far, and really haven't seen much of a difference match to match as they've been able to ride whatever's been working on a given night.
The Vikings played a 5-1 for most of their matches against Montana and Montana State, and senior Ally Wada handled herself just fine in the lone setter role. Wada averaged 9.56 assists and 3.11 digs per set in the Vikings' two matches in Montana. The senior also recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 40 assists to go with a season-high 21 digs in the team's four-set win over Montana State Saturday.
Parker Webb and Makayla Lewis have also played well in whatever system the Vikings have chosen on a given day. The pair both recorded double-doubles against the Bobcats, with Webb adding 16 kills behind the 18 for Lewis and Hollins. Webb and Lewis both rank in the Big Sky top 10 for kills, coming in fifth and eighth, respectively, with 3.34 and 3.18 kills per set. Webb also ranks sixth in the Big Sky with a .298 hitting percentage, making her the only player in the Big Sky to rank in the top 10 for both kills and hitting percentage.
The Hornets will likely test the Vikings' offensive depth Saturday, as they come in leading the Big Sky in blocks. The Hornets average 2.43 blocks per set this season, an average that also ranks them 52nd in the nation. Cianna Andrews and Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin lead the effort at the net, as they rank fourth and fifth in the Big Sky with 1.08 and 1.05 blocks per set, respectively. Karlee Soderberg and Kalani Hayes also rank close behind those two with 0.81 and 0.76 blocks per set, respectively.
The Vikings faced another strong blocking team in Montana State Saturday, and handled it relatively well. The Bobcats out-blocked the Vikings, 11.0-to-10.0, but the margin was narrow enough that the Vikings still won on the road. The Vikings also had a strong blocking match Thursday against Montana, as they out-blocked the Grizzlies 12.0-to-7.5. Barto led the Vikings at the net in both matches, tying a career high with seven blocks against the Grizzlies before adding six against the Bobcats.
The Hornets lost both of their matches to the Montana schools, falling in four sets to Montana State Thursday before being swept at Montana Saturday.
Tuesday's match marks a return home for the Hornets, however, which they will be excited about after playing six of their first eight conference matches on the road (same as the Vikings).
The Hornets' enthusiasm about returning home might be something for the Vikings to deal with, but that's something they've been doing all season. And looking at the results of their last five road matches, they've handled it just fine.
First serve between the Vikings and Hornets is set for 7 p.m.
MATCH #1: PORTLAND STATE (13-6, 7-1) vs. SACRAMENTO STATE (8-10, 3-5)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEODETAILS: Tuesday, Oct. 19, 7 p.m. PT, Sacramento, Calif. (The Nest)
SCOUTING SACRAMENTO STATE: The Sacramento State Hornets dropped both of their matches last weekend, falling in four sets to Montana State Thursday, before being swept at Montana Saturday. The Hornets, like the Vikings, have played six of their first eight Big Sky matches on the road, which has partially explained the Hornets' 3-5 start to Big Sky play. Tuesday's match against the Vikings marks the start of five straight home matches for the Hornets. Sacramento State went 5-5 in non-conference play, with all five of their wins coming against other California schools in UC Davis (3-1, Aug. 27), San Francisco (3-2, Aug. 28), CSUN (3-0, Sept. 10; 3-1, Sept. 17) and Pacific (3-2, Sept. 10). Statistically, the Hornets lead the Big Sky with 2.43 blocks per set, an average that also ranks 52nd in the nation. Cianna Andrews and Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin lead the effort at the net, as they rank fourth and fifth in the Big Sky with 1.08 and 1.05 blocks per set, respectively. Karlee Soderberg and Kalani Hayes also rank close behind those two with 0.81 and 0.76 blocks per set, respectively. Outside of blocks, the Hornets are a bit of a statistical anomaly in that they rank eighth in the conference in five of the six other categories between hitting percentage (.168), opponent hitting percentage (.213), assists per set (10.3), kills per set (11.5) and digs per set (13.3). The only other category – service aces – the Hornets rank seventh in with 1.43 per set. Individually, Bridgette Smith – an All-Big Sky second-team honoree as a freshman last season along with Hayes – ranks seventh in the Big Sky with 3.19 kills per set. Smith also stands 10th in the conference with 0.35 aces per set. Caitlin Volkmann follows Smith with 2.37 kills per set, but no other Hornet averages more than two kills. Setters McKenna Smith and Ashtin Olin have split duties so far this season, as they rank seventh and eighth in the Big Sky, respectively, with 5.69 and 5.57 assists per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Hornets lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 48-24. From Nov. 1, 2014 to Oct. 15, 2019, the Hornets won 10 matches in a row over the Vikings, but the Vikings have won two of their last three meetings. The Vikings beat the Hornets, 3-1, in Sacramento last season, which marked the Vikings' first road win over the Hornets since Oct. 18, 2014.
STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS
- The Vikings have won seven matches in a row and 10 of their last 11, with the lone loss in that stretch coming against defending Big Sky champion Weber State on the road.
- The Vikings' 7-1 start to Big Sky play is their best since they won 14 of their first 15 Big Sky matches in 2012.
- The Vikings swept the Montana schools on the road for the first time since 2013. The Vikings hadn't swept a Big Sky road weekend since 2017 before this season, but have now swept their last two road trips after they also swept Idaho and Eastern Washington earlier this season.
- Comebacks have been part of most of the Vikings' wins this season. The Vikings overcame a 2-1 deficit to beat Montana last Thursday, and then saved six set points between the first and third sets in their 3-1 win over Montana State last Saturday. Overall, the Vikings have five wins this season where they came back after dropping the opening set. The latest of those wins came against Northern Arizona on Oct. 9.
- The Vikings have hit .200 or better in six of their eight Big Sky matches so far, including both matches against the Montana schools last weekend. The Vikings rank third in the Big Sky with a .238 hitting percentage in Big Sky play, and also rank second in the Big Sky in both kills per set (14.0) and assists per set (12.9) in conference matches.
- The Vikings had taken over the Big Sky lead in opponent hitting percentage after holding eight of their previous nine opponents to under .200 hitting, but both Montana schools hit well over .200 last weekend. Montana State actually outhit the Vikings, .221-to-.213, last Saturday, the first time the Vikings have won a match in which they were outhit this season. The Vikings still rank third in the Big Sky with an opponent hitting percentage of .190.
- Ellie Snook leads the Big Sky and ranks 10th in the NCAA with 5.37 digs per set this season. Snook leads the No. 2-ranked player in the conference by more than a full dig per set, and isn't far off the single-season record she set as a freshman, when she averaged 5.47 digs per set.
- Parker Webb is the only player in the Big Sky Conference to rank in the top 10 for both kills per set and hitting percentage. Webb ranks fifth in kills per set (3.34) and sixth in hitting percentage (.298).
- Makayla Lewis ranks eighth in the Big Sky with 3.18 kills per set, and has led the Vikings in kills in six of the team's eight Big Sky matches.
- Ally Wada ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 8.49 assists per set, and had a big weekend in the Vikings' sweep of the Montana schools. The Vikings went back to a 5-1 formation for most of the weekend, with Wada serving as the one setter and averaging 9.56 assists and 3.11 digs per set between both matches.
- Genevieve Florig ranks sixth in the Big Sky with 1.04 blocks per set, though sophomore Ashleigh Barto led the Vikings at the net in both matches last weekend. Barto tied a career high with seven blocks Thursday against Montana, then had a team-high six blocks in the match against Montana State Saturday.
- The Vikings had played a 6-2 formation over the previous two weekends before their trip to Montana. Teniyah Leuluai and Maddy Reeb had been coming in for Ally Wada and Parker Webb.
- The Vikings have more upperclassmen (10) than underclassmen (6) for the first time since 2018. It's a far cry from the team's numbers two years ago, when they had seven freshmen and nine underclassmen on their 12-player roster. The team has three fifth-year players in Genevieve Florig, Maddy Reeb and Parker Webb.
- The Vikings added six newcomers over the offseason between three true freshmen – Morgan Halady, Teniyah Leuluai and Lily Snook – and three transfers – Genevieve Florig, Makayla Lewis and Sydney Rabe. Of the transfers, Florig came in as a grad transfer from UCONN, Lewis played two years at San Jose State, while Rabe was at UW Green Bay last year but didn't play and remains a redshirt freshman. Florig joins Zoe McBride, who transferred to the Vikings before last season, as players from the Portland area who started their careers at other Division I schools before transferring back to the region.
- Lily Snook joined her sister Ellie on the Vikings' team this season. Their father, Jamie Snook, also played men's basketball at Portland State from 1996-99. Additionally, their cousin, Jake Porter, plays for the Vikings' football team, and Jake's dad played baseball at Portland State in the 1990s.
- Maddy Reeb would have exhausted her eligibility last year, but decided to come back for a fifth year after the NCAA granted all volleyball players an extra year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Reeb split time between being a setter and an outside hitter during her first four years at Portland State, but will play exclusively on the outside this season. Reeb's versatility saw her become the first Viking since 2010 to record a triple-double last year, which she did twice during the season.
COMEBACK VIKS
Comebacks continue to be a part of seemingly every win for the Vikings this season. The Vikings faced a 2-1 deficit on the road against Montana – a place they hadn't won since 2016 – only to come back and win in five sets. The Vikings then saved five set points in what proved to be the longest set the Vikings have played since 2015, as they beat Montana State 34-32 in the opening frame of an eventual 3-1 win. Saturday's comeback against Montana State gives the Vikings wins over the two teams ranked tied for fourth in the conference behind them, as the Vikings also came back to beat Northern Arizona on Oct. 9. The win over NAU may have been the Vikings' best comeback yet, considering the Lumberjacks are a team that had beaten the Vikings in 14 of their previous 16 meetings before this season. It was a dramatic turnaround, too, as the Vikings hit .000 with 11 attack errors in the first set, but then hit .500 with 17 kills while winning the second set, 25-20. The Vikings then erased an early 12-6 deficit in the third set, scoring 11 of the final 14 points to take a crucial 2-1 lead in the match. The win marked the fifth time this season the Vikings have come back after dropping the opening set, including the second time in Big Sky play, as the Vikings also came back against Idaho State on Sept. 25. During non-conference play, the Vikings erased first-set losses to beat Santa Clara on Aug. 28, Grand Canyon on Sept. 10 and North Dakota State on Sept. 18. The Vikings also lost the second set against NDSU, as they erased an 0-2 deficit for the first time since Sept. 8, 2016. The comeback gene is a fitting part of the Vikings' DNA this season after head coach Michael Seemann introduced competition as early and as often as possible during the Vikings' fall camp in August.DEPTH AT THE PINS
The Viking offense has hit .238 in Big Sky matches this season – the third-best mark of any Big Sky team within conference play – in part because the Vikings can attack opposing defenses from anywhere on the court. Just last weekend, four different Vikings finished with at least 10 kills in the Vikings' five-set win over Montana Thursday, while three different players recorded at least 15 kills against Montana State Saturday. What's more, Ashleigh Barto and Zoe McBride led the Vikings with 14 kills each against Montana, but then weren't needed Saturday against Montana State as the pair combined for only two kills against the Bobcats. Gabby Hollins, meanwhile, went from having three kills against the Grizzlies to matching Makayla Lewis with a match-high 18 kills against the Bobcats. Lewis and Parker Webb lead the Vikings' deep attack, as the pair both rank in the top 10 for kills per set. Webb remains the only player to rank in the conference's top 10 for both kills per set (5th, 3.34) and hitting percentage (6th, .298), while Lewis ranks eighth in kills with 3.18 per set. Besides those two, Hollins set her season high for kills in the match against Montana State, while Barto set a career high with her 14 kills against Montana. McBride has also had a few standout matches besides her big production against Montana. The senior was at her efficient best in the Vikings' match against Idaho, where she had 11 kills on 19 swings to hit .579 while also adding 12 digs. Maddy Reeb was similarly efficient against Idaho, recording 10 kills on .529 hitting, and led the Vikings with 10 kills on .471 hitting less than a week later against Southern Utah. Overall, the Vikings rank second in the Big Sky in both kills per set (13.0) and assists per set (12.0) this season. Additionally, after they started the year ranked last in the Big Sky with a .084 hitting percentage over their first five matches, the Vikings now rank sixth in the conference at .210 as a team.TOUGH AT THE NET, UNBEATABLE IN THE BACK
Montana and Montana State broke a streak of the Vikings holding opponents to under .200 hitting, but the Vikings still had two of their best blocking matches of the season last weekend. The Vikings went over 10 blocks in both matches, the first time they've gone into double figures in back-to-back matches since their two matches against North Dakota State on Sept. 17-18. Ashleigh Barto had her best weekend of the season while leading the Vikings in blocks in both matches in Montana. Barto tied a career high with seven blocks against Montana Thursday, one of four different career highs she set in the match as she also recorded 14 kills on .545 hitting to go with three aces and 21.5 points. The sophomore then followed with six blocks against Montana State to again lead the Vikings at the net. Overall this season, the Vikings still rank third in the Big Sky with an opponent hitting percentage of .190 despite both Montana and Montana State hitting north of .200. Additionally, the Vikings maintained their lead in digs per set, as they top the conference while ranking 26th nationally with 16.7 digs per set as a team. Ellie Snook – last year's Big Sky Libero of the Year – makes the defensive motor run for the Vikings, as she leads the Big Sky while ranking 10th nationally with 5.37 digs per set. Snook's average gives her more than a full dig-per-set lead over the No. 2-ranked played in the conference, Montana's Sarina Moreno at 4.27. Three other regular starters average at least 2.4 digs per set besides Snook as Zoe McBride, Makayla Lewis and Ally Wada average 2.57, 2.49 and 2.42 d/s, respectively. At the net, Genevieve Florig leads the Vikings while ranking sixth in the conference with 1.04 blocks per set.FORMATION CHANGE
The Vikings started the season in a 5-1, switched to a 6-2 for four complete matches from Sept. 30 to Oct. 9, then went back to the 5-1 last weekend after starting in the 6-2 against Montana. The offense has seemed to hum no matter the formation, whether Teniyah Leuluai and Maddy Reeb come on in spell of Ally Wada and Parker Webb, respectively, or not. The Vikings have played an even number of matches in either formation so far in Big Sky play, and haven't seen a big difference in numbers either way. No matter the formation, the Vikings average 14.0 kills and 12.9 assists per set in Big Sky play while hitting .238. Wada and Leuluai have both contributed to that from the setter spot, as they average 7.97 and 4.52 assists per set, respectively, against Big Sky opponents. The Vikings also have five different players averaging at least two kills a set in Big Sky play, with Reeb (2.09 k/s) joining Makayla Lewis (3.53 k/s), Webb (2.90 k/s), Gabby Hollins (2.47 k/s) and Zoe McBride (2.04 k/s).ELLIE SNOOK STANDS ALONE
Ellie Snook joined elite company within the Viking program when she was named the Big Sky Conference Libero of the Year last season. Snook wrote her name next to Kasimira Clark (2012, 2013) and Tasha Bojanic (2017) as fellow honorees, giving the Vikings' program four recipients over the past nine seasons. But within this season, Snook remains in a company by herself as she holds a commanding lead within the Big Sky Conference for digs per set. Snook averages 5.37 digs per set, more than a full dig per set better than the No. 2-ranked player in the conference, Montana's Sarina Moreno at 4.27. Snook's been on a particularly strong run over the past six weeks, and the fact that the Vikings have won 12 of their 14 matches during that span is no coincidence. Snook has won three of the past six Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honors, with the latest coming last week following a weekend in which she averaged 6.00 digs per set against Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. Snook's big weekend moved her into the top 10 of the NCAA this season, where she remained after the Vikings' road trip to the Montana schools, coming in 10th. Snook could approach her own single-season school record if she keeps playing like she has been, as she's not far off the record of 5.47 digs per set she set as a freshman in 2019.MAKAYLA LEWIS, FROM SPARTAN TO VIKING
A transfer from San Jose State before the season, Makayla Lewis has made a seamless transition from being a Spartan to a Viking. Lewis averaged over four kills a set during the first two weekends of Big Sky play, and has led the Vikings in kills in six of their eight Big Sky matches so far. Lewis leads the team with an average of 3.53 kills per set in Big Sky matches, when she's also been averaging 2.63 digs per set. Lewis helped lead the Vikings to their best team hitting percentage since 2016 in their match against Idaho on Sept. 30, as she recorded a match-high 14 kills on .333 hitting while the Vikings hit .398 as a team. Lewis' emergence has coincided with the Vikings' turn of fortune over the past six weeks. Of Lewis' 207 kills this season, 189 of them have come in the past six weeks as the Vikings have won 12 of their last 14 matches since the start of the PDX Classic on Sept. 9. Lewis' best match this season came in the Vikings' five-set win over previously unbeaten Grand Canyon on Sept. 10. Lewis set a career high with 25 kills in that match, as she hit .302 while adding 12 digs. Lewis also had 19 kills on .333 hitting in the Vikings' four-set win over cross-town rival University of Portland on Sept. 9.WEBB SLINGER
With apologies to Peter Parker, the Spider-Verse doesn't appeal to us nearly as much as the Parker Webb-Verse. And since the start of the PDX Classic on Sept. 9, it appears we've all been in the Parker Webb-verse as the veteran right side has dominated for the Vikings. Webb has recorded double-digit kills in 12 of the Vikings' 14 matches since the start of the PDX Classic, and has hit .300 or better in 10 of those 12 matches. Webb remains the only player in the Big Sky who ranks in the top 10 of the conference for both kills per set (5th, 3.34) and hitting percentage (6th, .298). Webb showcased a new level for herself at the Les Schwab Rose City Showdown from Sept. 17-19. There, Webb averaged 4.67 kills, 2.33 digs, 0.92 blocks, 0.42 aces and 5.58 points per set while hitting .385. Those numbers earned her Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week honors, the second time in her career she has been so honored. Additionally, Webb was at her best in the Vikings' first two five-set wins this season. Webb helped the Vikings hand Grand Canyon its first loss of the season on Sept. 10, recording 22 kills on .383 hitting to go with 14 digs. Webb then topped that with 23 kills on .360 hitting and 15 digs in the team's five-set win over North Dakota State on Sept. 18, a match in which the Vikings erased an 0-2 deficit for the first time since 2016.A WHOLE LOTTA WADA
Senior Ally Wada has been a walking double-double since arriving in Portland from San Francisco before last season. Wada had 11 double-doubles in 17 matches last season, and added her ninth of this season with 40 assists and a season-high 21 digs in the Vikings' 3-1 win over Montana State last Saturday. Double-double career records at Portland State only date back to 2005, but Wada currently ranks 10th all-time with 20 career double-doubles. Saturday's double-double against the Bobcats came as part of a big weekend for Wada, who averaged 9.56 assists and 3.11 digs per set across both matches in Montana last weekend. Eight of Wada's nine double-doubles this season have come in the Vikings' last 14 matches as she's helped the Viking offense turn a corner after a rough start to the season. Behind Wada, the Vikings have hit .238 in the team's first eight. Big Sky matches, a mark that ranks them third in the conference within Big Sky play. That's a stark contrast to how the Vikings started the year, as they ranked last in the Big Sky while hitting just .084 through their first five matches. Wada's best match came in the Vikings' five-set win over Grand Canyon on Sept. 10. Wada set a new career high with 62 assists against the Lopes, 11 of which came as the Vikings recorded 14 kills in the fifth set. Wada now ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 8.49 assists per set for the season, while she's helped the Vikings jump to second in the conference in both kills per set (13.0) and assists per set (12.0).NO LONGER A MCBRIDESMAID, NOW A MCBRIDE
At the PDX Classic on Sept. 9-11, Zoe McBride recorded only one kill in seven sets, as she played sparingly due to lack of production. Head coach Michael Seemann said McBride did not accept that of herself, however, and responded with a great week of practice in the week that followed. She hasn't looked back sense. In the very next weekend after the PDX Classic, McBride recorded three straight double-doubles as the Vikings went 3-0 at their home tournament, the Les Schwab Rose City Showdown. Then against Idaho on Sept. 30, McBride put together her most efficient match of the season to date while leading the Vikings to a three-set sweep of the Vandals. McBride totaled 11 kills on 19 swings without committing an attack error, giving her a .579 hitting percentage. The latest of McBride's standout matches this season came Thursday, when she tied Ashleigh Barto for the team lead with 14 kills to go with 11 digs, giving McBride her fifth double-double of the season. McBride also put together a big match in the Vikings' 3-1 win over Gonzaga on Sept. 19, when she set season highs for kills (15) and digs (19).YOUNG NO MORE
The Vikings have more upperclassmen (10) than underclassmen (6) this season for the first time since 2018. The team has been developing its young players over the past two seasons, and now has as many fifth-year seniors (3 – Genevieve Florig, Maddy Reeb, Parker Webb) as they do true freshmen (3 – Morgan Halady, Teniyah Leuluai, Lily Snook). It's a far cry from where the Vikings' roster was two years ago, when the team featured seven freshmen and nine underclassmen on their 12-player roster.DIVISION I TRANSFERS
The Vikings have added six Division I transfers in the past two seasons. Zoe McBride (Morgan State), Megan Sester (Cal Baptist) and Ally Wada (San Francisco) joined the Vikings before last season, while Genevieve Florig (UCONN), Makayla Lewis (San Jose State) and Sydney Rabe (UW Green Bay) joined the Vikings before this season. McBride and Wada finished with four and 11 double-doubles, respectively, in the team's shortened 2021 winter season. Lewis, meanwhile, was the only Viking to finish with at least eight kills, four blocks and 10 digs in the team's 5-0 exhibition win over Central Washington Monday.PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Big Sky coaches picked the Vikings to finish sixth in the conference before the season. If that were to come to fruition, it would mark the Vikings' highest finish within the conference since 2017, when they placed fourth. A sixth-place finish in the Big Sky would also see the Vikings return to the Big Sky tournament for the first time since 2017, when they made it to the conference semifinals before losing to regular-season champion and host Sacramento State.SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Oct. 16, 2021, Portland State 3, Montana State 1: The Vikings saved five set points while winning the first set, 34-32, then saved another set point while winning the third set, 27-25. The 34-32 first set was the longest set the Vikings have played since a 34-32 third-set victory in another match against the Bobcats on Oct. 24, 2015. The win over Montana State marked the Vikings' first road win over the Bobcats since 2017, and completed the Vikings' first road sweep of the Montana schools since 2013.Oct. 14, 2021, Portland State 3, Montana 2: The Vikings erased a 2-1 deficit to beat the Grizzlies in five sets, recording their first road win at Montana since 2016 in the process.
Oct. 9, 2021, Portland State 3, Northern Arizona 1: The Vikings erased a first-set loss to come back and win for the fifth time this season. The fact that it came against NAU, a team that had beaten the Vikings in 14 of their previous 16 meetings, made it all the more impressive.
Oct. 7, 2021, Portland State 3, Southern Utah 0: A third straight sweep extended the Vikings' streak of set victories to 12, going back to the second set against Idaho State on Sept. 25.
Oct. 1, 2021, Portland State 3, Eastern Washington 0: The Vikings completed their first Big Sky road sweep since 2017 with a 3-0 sweep of Eastern Washington.
Sept. 30, 2021, Portland State 3, Idaho 0: The Vikings hit .398 for their best hitting percentage in a match since they hit .432 in a three-set win over Montana State on Sept. 29, 2016. Three different players recorded at least 10 kills while also hitting over .333. Zoe McBride and Maddy Reeb totaled 11 and 10 kills, respectively, while both hit north of .500 at .579 and .529.
Sept. 25, 2021, Portland State 3, Idaho State 1: The Vikings overcame a first-set loss to beat the Bengals in four sets. Out of seven wins so far this season, four have come in matches where the Vikings dropped the opening set.
Sept. 19, 2021, Portland State 3, Gonzaga 1: The Vikings overcame late deficits in the first and third sets to beat the Zags in four. The Vikings trailed by at least five points in every set that they won. The Vikings won 11 of the final 15 points in the first set after falling behind 19-14. The Vikings then won 12 of the final 14 points in the third set after trailing 21-13. In the fourth set, the Vikings won 16 of the final 20 points to run away with it after Gonzaga led 10-5 early.
Sept. 18, 2021, Portland State 3, North Dakota State 2: The Vikings overcame an 0-2 deficit while reverse sweeping the Bison to win in five sets. It was the first time the Vikings have come back to win after losing the first two sets since doing it against Utah State on Sept. 8, 2016.
Sept. 17, 2021, Portland State 3, North Dakota State 0: The Vikings hit a seasonal-best .312 against the Bison, who came into the match having won four straight, including a 3-1 win over Cal out of the Pac-12. The Vikings hadn't topped .300 hitting in a match since their 2019 season opener.
Sept. 10, 2021, Portland State 3, Grand Canyon 2: The Vikings handed Grand Canyon, which entered the match 7-0, its first loss of the season while winning in five sets. Makayla Lewis and Parker Webb became the first Viking teammates to record 20+ kills in the same match since Pati Anae and Eva Linden each had 21 kills against Montana State on Oct. 24, 2015. Those two were also part of four Vikings who finished with double-doubles in the match, only the second time that's happened since 2010, and the first time since 2019.
Sept. 9, 2021, Portland State 3, Portland 1: The Vikings beat their cross-town rival in the Pilots, breaking open a match that had been tied 1-1 and 14-all in the third set. The Vikings won 11 of the final 14 points of the third set, then dominated the fourth set, 25-7.
Aug. 28, 2021, Portland State 3, Santa Clara 1: Ellie Snook set a new four-set career high with 30 digs as the Vikings overcame a first-set loss to beat the Broncos in four sets. Snook had 14 digs in the crucial third set alone. Ally Wada was named to the Oregon Invitational All-Tournament Team after she finished with 33 assists and 17 digs in the match.
Vikings Close Out Three-Match Road Trip with Match at Sacramento State Tuesday - Portland State Vikings
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