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SACRAMENTO – Portland State suffered its first conference loss of the season with a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat at Sacramento State on Saturday night.

Set scores were 23-25, 25-23, 25-22, 12-25, 15-12.

Sac State improved to 9-10, 2-2 Big Sky, while PSU fell to 8-7, 4-1 Big Sky and had its five-match winning streak snapped.

Portland State outperformed the Hornets in nearly every statistical category, yet it wasn't enough to pick up their second victory ever in Sacramento. The Vikings outhit Sac State, .227 to .149, and registered 100 digs to the Hornets' 75.

Sac State took a quick 6-2 lead in the opening set behind two kills from Kayla Beal and two Viking attack errors. PSU responded, though, by scoring six of the next seven points to go up 8-7. The Viks pushed their lead to 15-10, but the Hornets took control and went up 21-19 on another PSU hitting error. Two kills by Whitney Phillips, sandwiched around one by setter Dominika Kristinikova, gave the Vikings the lead back, and Garyn Schlatter eventually put the set away for Portland State with a kill.

After Portland State rallied for the opening set win, it was the Hornets who turned the tables in the second stanza. The Vikings held a 15-9 lead after a kill by Phillips, but the Hornets fought back to it at 17-17. PSU went up 21-19 on a Sac State attack error, but again watched the Hornets rally. Beal rattled off three straight kills to pace a five-point run that would lead to the 25-23 victory.

The teams traded victories over the next two sets, with Sac State never trailing in set three, and PSU leading the entire way in a convincing set four win.

In the deciding frame, Sac State broke free from a 11-11 tie on back-to-back kills by Janelle Curry, and hung on to pick up its second straight Big Sky victory.

Portland State received outstanding performances from multiple players, led by Megan Ellis' career night. The sophomore outside hitter shattered two personal bests with 18 kills and 25 digs. Both numbers led the Vikings.

Whitney Phillips chipped in 17 kills and 17 digs, Lana Zielke had 10 kills and a career-high nine blocks, and Schlatter just missed a triple double with 38 assists, 10 kills and nine digs.

Beal paced the Hornets with 18 kills, Curry added 12 and 15 digs, and Eryn Kirby tallied 14 kills and 12 digs.

NOTES: The Vikings recorded 100 digs in a match for the first time since Oct. 17, 2008, during a 3-2 loss to the Hornets in Portland ... Zielke hit .562, while Schlatter hit .500 ... Kristinikova finished with 10 assists and a career-high 17 digs ... Ellis' previous bests were 13 kills and five digs. She also hit .326 ... PSU had four players with at least 10 kills for the first time this season ... for the first time this year, Phillips did not lead the Vikings in kills ... Diana Villalpando tallied 20 digs for the Viks ... the loss dropped PSU into second place in the Big Sky standings behind Northern Colorado (4-0) ... the Vikings return home for two matches next week. They host SeattleU in a non-conference tilt on Thursday, then Eastern Washington on Saturday. Both matches are set for 7 p.m.