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PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland State volleyball team outlasted the Weber State Wildcats Thursday night at the Peter W. Stott center for its first conference win of the season. The Vikings dropped the opening frame but then won three straight to take the match in four sets by scores of 22-25, 26-24, 25-17, and 25-23.
 
"We figured out a way to win tonight," Head Coach Michael Seemann said following the match. "It wasn't a pretty match but we did a great job of competing, staying in rallies, and figuring out how to win."
 
Weber State (3-13 overall, 0-3 Big Sky Conference) outhit Portland State (3-12, 1-2) .152-to-.147 in the match but the Vikings were able to come up with the big points when they needed them. After being outhit in the first two sets, the Vikings held the Wildcats to just 17 kills over the final two frames. They were also able to come up with the timely service ace, tallying seven for the match.
 
Senior OH Cheyne Corrado led the way for the Vikings with 14 kills. Corrado fell one dig shy (nine) of posting her third straight double-double to start conference play. Freshman OH Roni LaPierre came in off the bench and tallied 11 kills, including the cross-court match-winner.
 
Freshman S Erin Clark posted 41 assists in the match, the fifth 40-assist match of her career. Two-time defending Big Sky Libero of the Year Kasimira "Kasi Clark posted 20 digs in the match to lead the Vikings. In the match, Kasi Clark surpassed Leanne Peters for third all-time at Portland State in career digs. She now has 1,588 career digs, 15 shy of second all-time.
 
The first set was a back-and-forth affair right from the beginning. The Vikings lead early 3-1 but it did not last as the Wildcats quickly tied the set at 3-3. Neither team could separate itself from the other, as there were 11 ties in the set. After Leigh-Ann Haataja tied the set at 20-20, WSU went on a 3-0 run to go up 23-20. The Vikings held off one set point but fell 25-22 in the first.
 
It was much of the same in the second set. The second was tight early before the Vikings went on a little run to go up by four at 18-14. The Wildcats slowly cut into the lead and tied it at 23-23. After a bad set gave the Vikings the one-point advantage, an attacking error gave it right back and the set was again tied at 24-24. A kill from LaPierre gave the Vikings set point again before an attacking error by WSU gave the Vikings the 26-24 win in the second to even up the match.
 
Portland State came out of the break on a mission. Tied midway through the third at 14-14, the Vikings went on a 4-0 run to go up 18-14. They would close out the set on an 11-3 run to go up two sets to one looking for their first conference win.
 
Weber State did not roll over and go home quietly. The Wildcats kept on pushing the Vikings and led 12-10 midway through the fourth. The Vikings came back after some tough serving from Shelbi Miyashiro and took a 17-13 lead. After trading points, WSU tied the set at 20-20. The Vikings were up 24-20 looking to close out the match but that point would be tougher than they thought. The longest rally of the night kept the Wildcats alive. The Vikings put up five continue blocks but the Wildcats kept things alive.
 
Weber State final took the point to stave off match point on a PSU attacking error at the net. Another PSU attacking error and a bad set gave the Wildcats life at 24-23. LaPierre dashed Weber State's comeback hopes with a cross-court shot for the match-winner.
 
The Vikings held the Wildcats to a .023 hitting mark in the fourth set, their lowest of the match. LaPierre and Erin Clark led the Vikings with four kills each in the fourth frame while Kasi Clark was all over the court with eight digs.
 
Samantha Staker led all players with 20 kills on the day going 20-2-35 for a .514 hitting mark. Audrey Biggs added 10 kills for the Wildcats.
 
The Vikings host the Idaho State Bengals Saturday at 12 p.m. in the second of four straight home matches.
 
NOTES: Emani Jackson made her first career appearance for the Vikings in the first set … Kasimira "Kasi" Clark posted seven digs in the first set to move into sole possession of third all-time at PSU in career digs … Portland State extended its Big Sky regular season home winning streak to 25 matches, one shy of the program record.