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PORTLAND – Senior outside hitter Kaeli Patton led the way with a career-high 16 kills but it was not enough as the Portland State volleyball team fell in straight sets to No. 25 BYU Friday night at the Peter W. Stott Center. The Cougars took the match by scores of 25-22, 25-17, and 25-17. It was the opening match of the 2013 Portland State Tournament for both teams.

Patton's 16 kills improved on her previous career high of 13 set in the season opener against Gonzaga. She also recorded nine digs, one shy of her first career double-double. Fellow senior outside Aubrey Mitchell added 13 kills while hitting .500 in the match (13-3-20).

Junior middle blocker Leigh-Ann Haataja added seven kills (7-1-10) and a solo block. It was one of just two blocks in the match for the Vikings (2-3) as they were out-blocked 11.5-to-2.0.

The first set was the closest of the three with seven ties and two lead changes. The Vikings opened up a three-point lead after a Mitchell kill made the score 9-6. Portland State held the lead until BYU (3-2) tied the match at 12-12.

The Cougars then took the lead and built up as much as a four-point advantage at 18-14. The Vikings answered with a four-point run behind the serving of senior setter Garyn Schlatter to tie the match at 18-18. BYU took a one to two point advantage the rest of the set before winning it with a block.

Mitchell recorded seven of her 13 kills in the first set while hitting .545 (7-1-11).

BYU took an early lead in the second set and quickly built a six-point lead at 12-6. With the score 12-7 in favor of the Cougars, they went on a 6-1 run to go up 18-8. After getting to set point at 24-17, BYU took the second set with a service ace.

Patton was the big hitter for the Vikings in the second recording eight of her 16 kills. She hit .471 (8-3-12) with a pair of digs. Mitchell had the next most in the set with three.

Unfortunately for the Vikings the third set was similar to the second as the Cougars took the set, 25-17, to finish the sweep of the Vikings. Patton tallied five kills in the third set while Mitchell, Jaklyn Wheeler, and Haataja each had three.

The Vikings return to the Stott Center Saturday for a 12 p.m. match with Oklahoma before finishing the tournament with a 7 p.m. match against the University of the Pacific.

NOTES: Senior Kaeli Patton recorded a career-high 16 kills … Portland State fell to a ranked opponent for the second straight match … All three losses this season have been to ranked opponents … Portland State was out-blocked 11.5-to-2.0 … The Vikings were out-hit .361-to-.197.