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PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland State Vikings fell in straight sets to the Northern Colorado Bears Thursday night at the Peter W. Stott Center. The Bears took the match by scores of 25-19, 25-20, and 25-19.
 
Freshman outside hitter Roni LaPierre posted her fourth double-double of the season with 11 kills and 11 digs to lead the Vikings. Senior outside hitter Leigh-Ann Haataja added nine kills and a pair of blocks. Portland State was without its top attacker, Cheyne Corrado, who missed the match due to injury.
 
Senior libero Kasimira "Kasi" Clark tallied a team-high 12 digs in the match and is now just two digs shy of the Portland State all-time career digs record set by Eavi Shovlin. Kasi Clark now has 1,740 digs for her career.
 
The Vikings (7-16 overall, 5-6 Big Sky Conference) led early in the first set at 3-1 before the Bears (15-8, 8-3) came back and took the lead at 5-3 following a 4-0 run. The Vikings scored two straight to tie it at 5-5. Northern Colorado tried to run away with the set but Portland State would not let the Bears go up by more than two points through much of the set. After they went up 17-15, the Bears scored two straight to get out to their largest lead of the set at 19-15. A kill from freshman middle blocker Sarah Liva ended the 4-0 run and cut the lead to three at 19-16.
 
Freshman outside hitter Lauren Nicholson added a kill, followed by a service ace from Shelbi Miyashiro, and the Vikings trailed by one at 19-18. A pair of attacking errors by PSU put UNC up 21-18. The Bears scored two of the next three points to go up 23-19 forcing the Vikings to call their second timeout of the set. UNC took the first set 25-19 after back-to-back aces.
 
The scored stayed within a point through the first half of the second set until Northern Colorado took a three-point lead at 11-8. The Vikings came back and tied the set at 13-13 after a Bears attacking error. The teams traded points before LaPierre gave the Vikings the lead at 15-14. PSU scored two of the next three to go up 17-15 but two quick points and Northern Colorado tied the set at 17-17.
 
Haataja's seventh kill of the night gave the Vikings the lead at 18-17. Haataja and Liva then teamed up for a big block at the net to give the Vikings the 19-17 lead. The Bears once again came right back with two straight to tie it at 19-19. After the teams traded points, UNC scored five straight to take the second set 25-20.
 
Northern Colorado took the lead early in the third set, before Kasi Clark picked up her first ace of the match to tie it at 3-3. UNC went on a 4-0 run to go up 7-3 before kills from LaPierre and O'Brien cut the lead to 7-5. The Vikings fought back and take the lead at 11-10. PSU then went up 13-11 before UNC tied it at 13-13. The teams traded points to 15-15 before UNC went up 19-17. Nicholson cut the lead to one at 19-18 with her fourth kill of the night.
 
The teams traded points to 21-18 before Erin Clark and Anna DeMotts teamed up for a block to cut the lead to 21-19. Three straight points by the Bears set up match point at 24-19. A deep tip into the corner won it for the Bears as they took the set 25-19.
 
Kendra Cunningham led the Bears with 11 kills while Katie Champion added 10. Northern Colorado out-hit the Vikings .282-to-.168 for the match.
 
The Vikings will be back on the court Saturday at 12 p.m. PT when they host the Sacramento State Hornets. Portland State defeated Sacramento State in straight sets on October 18.
 
NOTES: Roni LaPierre tallied her fourth double-double of the season with 11 kills and 11 digs … Kasi Clark is now two digs shy of the all-time Portland State career digs record … Cheyne Corrado did not play due to injury.