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CEDAR CITY, Utah – Southern Utah took Portland State the distance but it was the Vikings that came out on top with a 15-6 win in the fifth and deciding set. Outside hitters Aubrey Mitchell and Jaklyn Wheeler paced Portland State with 15 kills apiece.
 
Wheeler added 10 digs to her 15 kills for her league leading 17th double-double of the year helping the Vikings to the win by scores of 12-25, 26-24, 25-17, 21-25, and 15-6.
 
Setter Garyn Schlatter added her eighth double-double (45 assists, 14 digs) while outside hitter Megan Ellis added her 15th (11 kills, 10 digs). Schlatter's 14 digs matches her season high which she has tallied twice already this season.
 
Sophomore middle blocker Leigh-Ann Haataja added 10 kills in the match giving the Vikings four players in double-figure kills. The last time the Vikings had four double-digit kill performances in the same match was earlier this season against Sacramento State when the same four players accomplished the feat.
 
The Vikings (18-8 overall, 14-1 Big Sky Conference) fell behind the eight-ball early in the match after being outhit .462-to-(-.067) in the first set dropping it 25-12 to the Thunderbirds (9-18, 5-10). The 12 points scored by the Vikings was their season low for a single set.
 
“It's tough to win on the road,” Head Coach Michael Seemann said following the match. “To open this road trip with a win is great, especially when we weren't playing our best.”
 
The Vikings took the second set 26-24 after neither team could get more than a two-point advantage. There were 18 ties and six lead changes in the set. The Vikings led 2-0 to open the set and then did not hold more than a one point lead until back-to-back Thunderbird attacking errors gave the Vikings the set.
 
Portland State came out in the third and hit .293 with 19 kills to take the set 25-17. Ellis hit .500 in the set with six kills while Wheeler added five. Schlatter added 13 assists.
 
Southern Utah took another close set in the fourth by a score of 25-21. The set was tied at 21-all before four straight SUU points won it for the Thunderbirds.
 
With the match going to the fifth set for just the third time during the Big Sky season, the Vikings came out relaxed and focused to start the decisive set. The Vikings led wire-to-wire taking the set, and the match, 15-6. Portland State hit .417 in the set while holding Southern Utah to a negative hitting mark at -0.053.
 
The Vikings improve to 14-1 in Big Sky play which is their best record through 15 conference matches in program history. The Vikings now head to Flagstaff, Ariz. to take on the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks on Saturday in a matchup of top three Big Sky contenders. NAU was 11-3 in conference coming into the weekend. The match is slated for a 6 p.m. PT start.
 
NOTES: Junior OH Jaklyn Wheeler recorded her league-leading 17th double-double of the season … Senior OH Megan Ellis recorded her 15th double-double … Junior S Garyn Schlatter added her eighth double-double … The Vikings had four players in double figure kills.