9/5/2009 4:15:00 AM

Hot-Hitting Viks Open NW Challenge With 3-1 Win Over Gonzaga

PORTLAND, Ore. – Whitney Phillips and Marija Vojnovic teammed up for 43 kills and Portland State hit a resounding .360 on its way to a 3-1 win over Gonzaga on Friday night at the Northwest Challenge.

Set scores were 21-25, 25-17, 28-26, 25-15.

The Vikings (1-3) hit at least .343 in three of the four sets, including .412 in set one and .481 in set four. Their .360 percentage is nine points higher than last season's team high.

As has been the case so far in the 2009 season, Phillips was an offensive stalwart. Only once last season did a Portland State player accumulate over 20 kills, but with her 24-kill performance against Gonzaga tonight, she has already eclipsed the 20-kill mark in three of PSU's four matches.

Phillips also dug 11 balls for her fourth-straight double-double, and hit .333, easily her best percentage of the season.

Vojnovic wasn't too shabby either, racking up 19 kills, hitting .471 and tallying seven digs.

The Vikings dropped the opening set, 25-21, but raced out to a 12-6 lead in set two. After going up by seven, 18-11, PSU watched Gonzaga rally to within five, 21-16. But a kill by Phillips squashed the Bulldogs momentum and Portland State went on to win, 25-17.

Gonzaga rallied in the third set and even had it at set point, 25-24, but Phillips had a kill and Michelle Boevers committed an attack error for Gonzaga to give the Viks a 26-25 lead. After a Layne Brosky kill tied it up, Vojnovic closed out the set with back-to-back kills.

The Bulldogs (1-3) never seriously threatened in the final set. Vojnovic threw home a kill early on to put Portland State up 8-3 and she later gave the Viks an 18-8 lead with her 18th kill of the evening. Fittingly, Phillips had the final point of the match on a kill to give Portland State its first win of the year.

For Portland State Head Coach Michael Seemann the home setting of the Stott Center provided a big boost for his team.

"It was a fantastic night of volleyball. It was great to be at home and have the support of our fans," said Seemann.

"I'm not sure if we hit .360 last year at all. I felt that we had a solid defensive performance the opening weekend, but did not have any offense. I felt like tonight we were able to get quite a bit of offense."

Setter Nique Fradella matched her season-high with 56 assists and finished with her third double-double after registering 14 digs.

Gonzaga, which hit just .197, was led by Brosky's 12 kills. Kaprina Goodwin added 10 more, while Emily Johnson had 10 digs.

Both teams are back in action tomorrow as the Northwest Challenge closes out. The Vikings face Boise State at 1 p.m., before finishing with #3 Washington at 7:30 p.m.

MATCH NOTES: The Vikings raised their season attack percentage from .157 to .202 ... Tracy Vargas had eight kills and hit .333 for PSU ... Lana Zielke had three solo blocks for PSU ... Portland State moved to 8-4 all-time against Gonzaga.

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