Box Score

SEATTLE – For the second consecutive match, the Vikings went to a fifth set before Jaklyn Wheeler's career-high 24th kill secured the 3-2 win for the Portland State over Boise State Saturday morning at the Northwest Classic in Seattle, Wash.

Wheeler and Megan Ellis both tallied double-doubles for the Vikings, who won by scores of 25-21, 13-25, 25-18, 22-25, 16-14 for their first win of the 2012 season.

The Vikings (1-1 overall) got out to a 6-2 lead in the fifth and decisive set before the Broncos (0-2) pulled to within one at 9-8. With the Vikings up 11-9, the Broncos recorded back-to-back blocks to tie the set at 11-11. BSU took a 13-12 lead before Wheeler tied it at 13-13 with a kill. Another Boise State block gave them match point at 14-13. Wheeler then came through with another clutch kill to tie it at 14-14.

Katie O'Brien and Aubrey Mitchell combined for a block to give the Vikings a 15-14 lead and their first match point. Wheeler knocked in her 24th kill of the match to secure the victory for the Vikings at 16-14.

Wheeler ended the match with a career-high 24 kills on 60 attacks, 17 digs, two assists, and one solo block to record her second consecutive double-double this season. Ellis added 16 kills and 17 digs for her second consecutive double-double.

Four Vikings recorded double-digit kills in the match. Along with Wheeler and Ellis, Aubrey Mitchell recorded 12 kills, while Leigh-Ann Haataja tallied 10.

The Vikings came right out of the gate, taking the first set by a score of 25-21. Neither team could get any type of lead early in the set until PSU opened up a three point lead at 12-9. The Broncos tied it up at 14-14 and again at 19-19 before the Vikings closed out the set on a 6-2 run. They recorded 16 kills in the set with only four errors to hit .343.

The second set was a different story. After being tied at 4-4, Boise State went on an 8-1 run to open up a seven point lead at 12-5. The Broncos increased their lead to 10 points before taking the set 25-13. They out-hit the Vikings .345-to-.000 in the second stanza, with the Vikings recording six kills and six errors on 29 attempts.

Portland State started the third set by connecting on four of its first seven attacks to jump out to a 7-1 lead. The Vikings built up an eight point lead at 15-7. Both teams went on runs with the Broncos getting no closer than four points at 21-17 and then again at 22-18. The Vikings closed out the frame with three straight points to take it 25-18 and go up two sets to one.

It looked like the Vikings were in control of the fourth after starting the set hitting .571 (8-0-14). The Vikings had a three point lead at 18-15 before the Broncos rattled off seven consecutive points to take the lead at 22-18. Three straight points for the Vikings (a Wheeler Kill, an O'Brien and Mitchell block, and a BSU attacking error) brought the Vikings to within one at 22-21. The Broncos would eventually win the set, 25-22.

So for the second time in as many matches, the Vikings headed to a decisive fifth set. They were 4-3 in five-set affairs in 2011 with wins against Seattle U, Montana, Montana State, and Idaho State.

The fifth included five ties and two lead changes, but the Vikings secured their first match win of the season with a 16-14 win in the final set.

Portland State will be back out on the court tonight in the finale of the Northwest Classic when they take on host team and No. 14 ranked Washington at 7 p.m.

NOTES: Jaklyn Wheeler and Megan Ellis recorded double-doubles for the second consecutive match … Four Vikings recorded 10-plus digs (Megan Ellis, Jaklyn Wheeler, Kasimira Clark, Dominika Kristinikova) … Four Vikings recorded 10-plus kills (Aubrey Mitchell, Megan Ellis, Jaklyn Wheeler, Leigh-Ann Haataja) … Leigh-Ann Haataja tied her career-high in kills with 10 … Garyn Schlatter recorded 50-plus (53) assists for the second consecutive match … The Vikings are now 1-1 in five-set matches this season … It's the first time the Vikings have started the season with back-to-back five-set matches since 2008.