PSU-Boise State Box Scores: HTML  |  PDF

PSU-Gonzaga Box Scores: HTML  |  PDF


SPOKANE – Megan Ellis and Garyn Schlatter both recorded a pair of double-doubles for Portland State on Saturday, but it wasn't enough as the Vikings fell to Boise State and Gonzaga at the Northwest Challenge.

The Vikings dropped to 4-4 with the pair of losses. Boise State (4-3) defeated the Vikings, 3-1, in the morning by scores of 25-21, 25-18, 18-25, 25-16. Gonzaga (4-3) then closed out the two-day tourney with a five-set victory over PSU. Set scores were 22-25, 25-20, 25-22, 24-26, 15-10.

After losing their first two matches of the Northwest Challenge to eighth-ranked Washington and Boise State, the Vikings started well against the host Bulldogs. They won a back-and-forth opening set that featured 16 tie scores, but then faltered over the next two frames.

Facing elimination in the fourth set, PSU put together probably its best rally of the young season. Gonzaga scored the first seven points and raced out to a 11-2 lead, but the Vikings didn't wilt. The Bulldogs later had it at set point, 24-17, after a kill by Kylie Edinger, before PSU stormed back to win by scoring nine unanswered points.

The comeback was for not, though, as Gonzaga opened the fifth frame by scoring the first six points on its way to an easy victory.

Ellis had a match-best 22 kills to go along with 11 digs, and Schlatter registered 48 assists and 13 digs. Cheyne Corrado also tallied a double-double with career-highs of 12 kills and 16 digs.

PSU finished with 16 team blocks, getting nine from Katie O'Brien, including five solos, and six from Leigh-Ann Haataja.

Gonzaga, which had 20 team blocks, got 13 total blocks from Meredith Crenshaw. Laura Day led the Bulldogs offensively with 19 kills while also digging 16 balls.
 
Against Boise State, the Vikings bounced back after losing the opening set and took an 9-4 lead in set two following a kill by Schlatter and a Broncos attack error. An Aubrey Mitchell swing later put the Vikings up 14-11, but Boise State rallied and finally went in front, 18-17, on an errant ball by PSU. The Vikings only scored once more during the frame as Boise State closed on a 7-1 run.

Portland State's offense finally came alive in set three as they hit .276 and recorded a 77 percent sideout mark. Boise State led early, 4-3, but a kill and a service ace from Ellis put the Vikings in the lead and they never trailed again. Three straight kills by Ellis and a bad set by the Broncos helped PSU go up 14-10, while later a kill from Cara Olden made it 17-11.

The Vikings scored the first three points of the final set, but it was all Boise State from there. A kill from Brittany Reardon kickstarted a 9-0 run that took the air out of the Vikings for good.

Ellis recorded a double-double, finishing with 11 kills and 11 digs, and Schlatter also had one, tallying 25 assists and 14 digs.

Reardon led Boise State with 15 kills and a .591 attack percentage.

NOTES: O'Brien's five solo blocks against Gonzaga were the most by a Viking since Michelle Segun had five on Oct. 12, 2007, at Sac State ... Mitchell added eight kills against BSU, while Haataja had seven and hit .333. Against Gonzaga, Haataja had nine kills ... Ellis became the first Viking to go over the 20-kill mark this season ... PSU recorded seven aces vs. Gonzaga, getting two apiece from Corrado and Dominika Kristinikova ... Nicole Bateham registered double-digits in digs in both matches with 14 against BSU and 13 against Gonzaga ... the Vikings are back in action on Tuesday, traveling to Eugene to face No. 16 Oregon.