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PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland State volleyball team clinched either the sixth or seventh seed in the Big Sky Conference Tournament with a three-set sweep of Southern Utah Thursday night at the Peter W. Stott Center. The Vikings played one of their best matches of the season and won by scores of 25-23, 25-9, and 25-21.
 
After a back and forth battle in the first set, the Vikings took control and dominated the final two frames to complete the sweep.
 
"Our blocking and serving took control in the final two sets," eighth-year Head Coach Michael Seemann said following the sweep. "They're a good out-of-system team, their outsides do a good job of keeping the ball in play. Our block did a good job in system and out-of-system we did a good job digging the ball and creating quality swings in transition."
 
Portland State (9-18 overall, 7-8 Big Sky Conference) out-hit Southern Utah (13-14, 5-10) in the match .244-to-.100. The Vikings hit a remarkable .636 (15-1-22) with just one error in the second set which led them to a 25-9 win. It was the first time this season that they had held an opponent to fewer than 10 points in a set.
 
At the net, Portland State tallied nine blocks, three in each set. Freshman MB Sarah Liva did a lot of the damage at the net tallying six total blocks, one solo with five assists. Senior OH Leigh-Ann Haataja added four blocks and eight kills.
 
Senior OH Cheyne Corrado had a lot to do with the Vikings' success as she hit .300 (14-2-40) and posted a match-high 14 kills. She added a pair of service aces and nine digs, one shy of her ninth double-double of the season.
 
"Our passing gave us great opportunities," Seemann added. "We liked the matchups no matter where we were in rotations and we did a good job of exposing those matchups early."
 
Freshman Erin Clark and sophomore Shelbi Miyashiro shared the setting duties once again and consistently put the Vikings' hitters right where they needed to be. Erin Clark tallied 23 assists and seven digs while Miyashiro added 11 assists and three digs. Senior L Kasimira "Kasi" Clark posted 16 digs to lead the Vikings.
 
Portland State fell behind early 4-1. The Vikings rattled off four straight behind tough serving from Kasi Clark to take a 5-4 lead. Neither team could put any kind of run together to take a lead as they traded points to 13-13. Finally, the Vikings were able to string three together to go up 16-13. The Thunderbirds then tied the set at 17-17 after a 4-1 run.
 
The Vikings took the lead on a Miyashiro quick kill to the center of the court after a long rally. PSU could not take advantage of the rally and gave up its advantage with a service error. The Vikings went up by two at 20-18 but the T-Birds were right there and tied it. They did it again at 22-22 after PSU led 22-20. A Thunderbird ace gave them the lead at 23-22 but three straight by the Vikings gave them the set 25-23.
 
Portland State came out and played their best set of the season hitting .636 (15-1-22). At one point, the Vikings were 8-for-10 in attack attempts. The Vikings opened up the set with a 5-1 run and then pushed their lead to 8-2. Liva combined on a couple of blocks a few points later to go up 11-3.
 
A solo block from Liva put the Vikings up 18-6. A kill from Corrado and an ace from Haataja put the Vikings up 22-9. They finished the second set on a 6-0 run to win 25-9.
 
The Vikings came out with more of the same in the third set going up 6-1. A long rally finished by a monster cross-court kill from Corrado put the Vikings up 11-5 later in the set. The Vikings extended their lead to 19-11 before the Thunderbirds went on a run to cut the lead to 21-19. Another kill from Corrado ended the 5-0 run. Portland State scored four of the final six points to take the set 25-21 on an O'Brien Kill.
 
After the first set saw 15 ties and three lead changes the Vikings led wire-to-wire in the second set and only trailed 1-0 in the third set.
 
"I told the team I didn't want them to exhale now that we're in the tournament," Seemann said. "I don't believe we gave Northern Arizona our best earlier this season and we'll need to do just that this weekend. I think anyone who can make the tournament can win it."
 
Portland State will host Northern Arizona Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. It will be the final home match of the season for the Vikings and they will honor their five seniors prior to the match. The Vikings will then head to Pocatello, Idaho next week for the Big Sky Conference Tournament.
 
NOTES: Portland State clinched a berth into the Big Sky Tournament … Portland State hit .636 (15-1-40) in the second set, the best hitting mark in a set this season … Portland State held an opponent to fewer than 10 points in a set for the first time this season.