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Portland State Vikings (8-18, 4-10 BSC) vs. Southern Utah Thunderbirds (15-12, 6-8 BSC)
November 12, 2015 • Cedar City, UT • Centrum Arena (5,300) 
Live Stats | Live Video

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Portland State Vikings (8-18, 4-10 BSC) vs. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (23-4, 13-1 BSC)
November 14, 2015 • Flagstaff, AZ • Rolle Activity Center (1,210) 
Live Stats | Live VideoComplete Release in PDF Format

THIS WEEK: The Vikings close out the regular season this week with a pair of tough road matches. They open the week at Southern Utah in a pivotal match-up on Thursday, Nov. 12. Portland State then closes out the season at Northern Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 14. Both matches are slated for 7 p.m. MT starts. 

TOURNAMENT CHANCES: The Vikings enter the final week of the regular season with a glimmer of hope to make the Big Sky Conference Tournament next week. The Vikings are two matches out of the eighth and final tournament spot with two to play. The Vikings will have to win both matches and get some help along the way.

LIVE VIDEO: A live video stream will be available for every Big Sky Conference match the rest of the season through WatchBigSky.com A link can be found on the volleyball schedule page on GoViks.com. 

LIVE STATS: Fans can follow the action throughout the season, online via live stats. Live stat links for each match can be found on the volleyball schedule page on GoViks.com.

FOLLOW THE VIKINGS: Fans can follow the Vikings all season long on Twitter. Follow @ViksVB for all the latest news, notes, and behind the scenes photos. Follow @PSU_Vikings for the latest on all 15 Portland State Athletics programs. 

LAST TIME OUT
• The Vikings split a pair of three-set matches last week falling to Idaho State (11/5) before defeating Weber State (10/7) in their last home match of the season. 
• Junior OH Pati Anae put together arguably her best weekend of Big Sky Conference play. She averaged 4.67 kills per set over the two matches along with 3.17 digs per set. She tallied a pair of aces and six blocks while hitting .317. She posted by far her best hitting mark of the season when she hit .419 against Weber State going 17-for-31 with four errors. 
• The Vikings put together their best match of the Big Sky season, hitting .315 as a team against Weber State. They hit .520 in the opening frame and then finished out the sweep of the Wildcats with a .400 hitting mark in the third set. 

SOUTHERN UTAH QUICK HITS
• In his first season at Southern Utah, Craig Choate has led the Thunderbirds to a 15-12 overall record and a 6-8 conference mark. He is 351-270 in 23 years as a head coach. Southern Utah is 2-4 at home, 6-6 on the road, and 7-2 at neutral sites. 
• The Thunderbirds return 11 letterwinners and five starters from a team that went 14-15 overall and 6-10 in Big Sky play in 2014. 
• The Thunderbirds are hitting .205 as a team, eighth in the Big Sky, while opponents are hitting just .168, best in the league. The T-Birds also lead the league with 2.81 blocks per set and are second with 16.09 digs per set. 
• Senior OH Madi Forsythe leads the team, and is fourth in the conference, with 4.10 kills per set. She is also fifth in the league with 4.60 points per set. 
• Sariah Pelaez is fourth in the Big Sky with 4.45 digs per set. 
• Junior Ann Clappier leads the Big Sky with 1.63 blocks per set. 

VS. SOUTHERN UTAH STATE: Portland State is 5-2 all-time against Southern Utah. The first meeting came in 2012 when SUU joined the Big Sky Conference. The Vikings took the first four meetings before Southern Utah won in Cedar City, Utah in 2014. The Thunderbirds took the last match at the Stott Center in straight sets. 

NORTHERN ARIZONA QUICK HITS
• Ken Murphy is 53-23 in three years at Northern Arizona. He is 145-158 in nine seasons overall as a head coach. 
• Northern Arizona is 23-4 overall this season and lead the Big Sky Conference with a 13-1 mark. The Lumberjacks are 9-0 at home and 8-4 on the road. They are also a perfect 6-0 in neutral site matches. 
• Northern Arizona can clinch the Big Sky Regular Season title Thursday night with a win over Sacramento State. 
• The Lumberjacks went 21-8 overall in 2014 and 11-5 in Big Sky play to finish tied for fourth. They reached the Big Sky semifinals before falling in a five-setter to Idaho State. They return five letterwinners and four starters, plus their libero, from a year ago. 
• The Jacks are outhitting opponents .261-to-.170 on the season. Their .274 hitting mark is second-best in the Big Sky. They are fourth in kills per set (13.18) and assists per set (12.40). NAU is second in blocks per set (2.78) and leads the league in aces per set (1.74).
• Senior OH Janae Vander Ploeg leads the conference with 4.72 kills per set. She is also fourth in aces per set (0.35). She has tallied double-digit kills in all but one match this season, including nine 20-plus kill performances. She tallied a season-high 26 kills in a five-set win over Loyola Marymount. She has 13 double-doubles on the year, second in the Big Sky. She has been named Big Sky Player of the Week four times in 2015.

VS. NORTHERN ARIZONA: Northern Arizona leads the all-time series 20-19 dating back to the 1996 season when the Vikings joined the Big Sky Conference. The Lumberjacks lead 12-7 in Flagstaff. Portland State won 16 straight from 2004-2012 but Northern Arizona has won five of the last six meetings. NAU took both matches in 2014 by scores of 3-1 (at NAU) and 3-0 (at PSU) and swept the Vikings earlier this season in Portland. 

SAYING GOODBYE: This week will bring the final two matches for Assistant Coach Katie Kaysinger as she will step down at the end of the year. She has been a pivotal part of the Vikings' success over the years. Since her first year as an assistant coach in 2002, Kaysinger has helped the Vikings to eight 20-win seasons, five Big Sky Conference regular season championships, and two Big Sky Tournament wins and NCAA Tournament appearances. Kaysinger graduated in 2001 from Portland State after lettering all four years for the Vikings. An accomplished setter in her own rite, Kaysinger still holds the record for most assists in a three-set match with 54 against Cal State Northridge in 1999.

TEAM NOTES: Here are some quick-hitters about the Portland State volleyball team through 26 matches:
• The Vikings are 8-18 overall this season and 4-10 in Big Sky play. They are 5-6 at home, 1-9 on the road, and 2-3 in neutral site matches. 
• Portland State is 5-8 in three-set matches, 1-7 in four-set matches, and 2-3 in five-set matches. 
• Portland State won three-straight matches earlier in the season for the first time since 2013. 
• Portland State is 11th in the Big Sky with a .172 team hitting mark, while opponents are hitting .242, 10th in the league.
• Portland State is fourth in the Big Sky with 1.47 aces per set. 
• Portland State defeated Northwestern State (9/18) in five sets after being down 2-1 in the match. It was the first time that had happened since the Vikings were down 2-1 on the road at Idaho State on Nov. 23, 2013. The Vikings came back to win the match and claim a share of the Big Sky regular season championship. PSU repeated the feat, defeating Weber State (10/1), 3-2, on the road after going down 2-1 in the match. 
• Portland State was outhit by Northwestern State (9/18) .196-.169 in the match but still took home the victory. It was the first time that had happened since the Vikings defeated Idaho at home in 2014. 
• Portland State picked up its first true road win of the season with a 3-2 win at Weber State (10/1). 
• Portland State picked up its first conference home win of the season with a three-set sweep of North Dakota (10/15). 
• Portland State won the third set against Montana State (10/24), 34-32, which was the longest set for the Vikings under the current 25-point scoring format that came into play for the 2008 season. It was the first time that the Vikings had scored 30-plus points in a set since winning the first set, 31-29, against Northern Colorado in 2013. 
• The Vikings had three players with 15-plus kills against Montana State for the first time since defeating Weber State in the Big Sky Tournament in 2007. 
• Outside hitters Pati Anae and Eva Linden each tallied career highs in kills with 21 apiece against MSU. It was the first match since 2012 in which two Vikings recorded 20-plus kills in a match. Megan Ellis (22) and Jaklyn Wheeler (21) achieved the feet against Gonzaga to open the season. 
• Portland State put together its best set of the season in the opening frame against Weber State (11/7). The Vikings hit .520 as a team going 17-for-25 with four errors. They went on to hit .315 for the match, their best mark in Big Sky play. 

PATI ANAE QUICK HITTERS: Here are some quick hitters about Pati Anae, a junior transfer from the College of Southern Idaho.
• Posted her team-high 10th double-double of the season with 17 kills and 10 digs against Weber State (11/7). She also posted her best hitting mark of the season (.419) going 17-for-31 in attacks with just four errors. 
• Tallied her ninth double-double with a career-high 21 kills along with 16 digs against Montana State (10/24). Anae and Eva Linden (21 kills) became the first PSU duo to tally 20-plus kills in a match since the 2012 season.
• Posted eighth double-double with a then-career-high 19 kills and a career-high 22 digs at Idaho (10/8).
• Her 22 digs were the most by a non-libero this season and the most by a non-libero since Cheyne Corrado posted 20 digs against Northern Arizona at the end of last season. 
• She is third on the team with 2.85 kills per set and is third with 23 aces on the season. 
• She posted 3.33 kills and 3.44 digs per set over two matches at Idaho (10/8) and at Eastern Washington (10/10).
• She recorded five service aces against Portland (9/2), the most since Leigh-Ann Haataja posted seven against Southern Utah last season. 
• She has 11 double-digit kill and 12 double-digit dig performances. 
• She was named to the Northwest Challenge All-Tournament team.

TASHA BOJANIC QUICK HITTERS: Here are some quick hitters about Tasha Bojanic, a sophomore libero from Belgrade, Serbia.
• Sophomore L Tasha Bojanic has posted double-digit digs in 23 of the 25 matches she's played in.
• She posted a career-high 27 digs at Idaho State (10/3) and has posted 20-plus digs in a match six times.
• Bojanic posted her first career double-double with 10 assists and 23 digs against SELU (9/12). 
• Bojanic's 4.13 digs per set is seventh in the Big Sky Conference. 
• Bojanic recorded 5.00 digs per set including a career-high 25 digs in three sets against Washington State (9/19) and was named to the Lone Star Showdown All-Tournament Team.

ERIN CLARK QUICK HITTERS: Here are some quick hitters about Erin Clark, a sophomore setter from Chino Hills, Calif. 
• She has missed 10 matches so far this season due to injury and is expected to miss the final two. 
• She and Kylie Copple have shared setting duties this season. She is averaging 5.17 assists per set while Copple is adding 6.23 aps. 
• She has posted double-digit assists in every match she has played this season. She has four double-digit dig performances for four double-doubles on the season. 
• She posted her first double-double of the season with 18 assists and 10 digs against Portland (9/2). 
• She posted back-to-back double-doubles with 19 assists and 12 digs against both Nevada (9/5) and Grand Canyon (9/5). 
• She tallied her fourth double-double with 20 assists and 10 digs at Eastern Washington (10/10). Posted her 10th career double-double with 23 assists and 13 digs against North Dakota (10/15). 

EVA LINDEN QUICK HITTERS: Here are some quick hitters about Eva Linden, a freshman outside hitter from Milton, Wash. 
• She is second on the team with 2.94 kps. She is averaging 1.91 digs and 3.40 points per set. 
• She improved her career high in kills to 21 against Montana State (10/24). She added 10 digs for her fourth double-double of the season. Linden and Pati Anae (21 kills) became the first PSU duo to tally 20-plus kills in a match since the 2012 season.
• She recorded a then-career-high 19 kills against Southeastern Louisiana (9/12). She posted her first career double-double with a career-high 13 digs against SELU. 
• She averaged 4.08 kps at the Rebel Challenge in Las Vegas, Nev. She hit .300 with 2.00 dps. 
• She was named to the Rebel Challenge All-Tournament Team.
• She posted her second double-double of the season with 11 kills and 11 digs to open Big Sky Conference play against Northern Arizona (9/24). Added third double-double with 14 kills and 11 digs at Idaho State (10/3). 

SARAH LIVA QUICK HITTERS: Here are some quick hitters about Sarah Liva, a sophomore middle blocker from Mililani, Hawaii.
• She leads the team with 93 total blocks (0.97 blocks per set). She led the Vikings in blocking in 2014. 
• She tallied seven blocking assists against Portland (9/2), the most since Katie O'Brien posted seven blocks against Sacramento State last season. 
• She matched her career high with three solo blocks against Southeastern Louisiana (9/12). 
• She matched her career high in kills with nine at Texas Tech (9/18) and against Washington State (9/19). She tallied nine kills again against North Dakota (10/15). She hit .643 (9-0-14) against UND.

JENNA MULLEN QUICK HITTERS: Here are some quick hitters about Jenna Mullen, a freshman outside hitter from Puyallup, Wash.
• She leads the team with 3.04 kills per set, which leads all Big Sky Conference freshmen. She also leads the team with 31 service aces. She has recorded multiple aces nine times this season including a season-high three aces three times. 
• She ended the match against both Nevada (9/5) and Grand Canyon (9/5) with back-to-back aces. 
• She improved her career high in kills to 19 at Texas Tech (9/18). 
• She has posted double-digit kills in 15 matches this season, 14 of her last 17. 
• She posted her first career double-double with 17 kills and a career-high 10 digs at Idaho (10/8). 

MISCELLANEOUS PLAYER QUICK HITTERS: Here are some quick hitters about other Vikings in 2015. 
• Sophomore S Kylie Copple posted her first career double-double with 44 assists and 11 digs against Northwestern (9/18).  
• Copple became the first Viking since Garyn Schlatter in 2013 to post 50-plus assists in a match after posting a career-high 56 assists against Montana State (10/24).
• Copple added her second double-double with 31 assists and 11 digs against Sacramento State (10/31).
• Freshman DS Hadley Heck posted her first double-digit dig performance with a career-high 10 digs at Idaho State (10/3). 

SCHEDULE NOTES: Here are some quick hitters about the Vikings' 2015 schedule. 
• Portland State opened the season at the Northwest Challenge for the fourth-straight season, eighth-straight overall. Portland State is now 8-16 all-time at the Northwest Challenge taking two matches on the weekend three times. 
• Portland State and the University of Portland co-hosted a tournament Sept. 4-5. It was the first tournament hosted by the Vikings since the 2013 Big Sky Tournament. 
• The Vikings faced a pair of Pacific-12 Conference foes in 2015, facing both Washington and Washington State. PSU lost in straight sets against both in 2014. Portland State fell by a combined 10 points against the Cougars on their home court. 
• The Big Sky Conference is in the second year of it's "un-balanced" schedule. Portland State will face everyone in the South Division (Idaho State, Northern Arizona, Southern Utah, Sacramento State, and Weber State) twice, both home and away. Portland State will face everyone in the North Division (Eastern Washington, Idaho, Montana, Montana State, North Dakota, and Northern Colorado) just once, alternating home and away each season.
• The top team in each division will get the No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the Big Sky Volleyball Tournament hosted by the No. 1 seed Nov. 19-21. Eight teams will earn seeds into the tournament with seeds 3-8 going to the next six best teams decided by conference record regardless of division.

PRESEASON QUICK HITTERS: Here are some quick hitters about the 2015 Portland State volleyball team entering the season. 
• Portland State returns the youngest team in the Big Sky Conference with just four returning letterwinners, all sophomores. Portland State adds nine newcomers for the 2015 season, seven freshmen. 
• Portland State returns no outside hitters from 2014, two graduated and two left the program. The four outside hitters, along with two middle blockers who also graduated, accounted for 1,018 of the teams 1,265 kills or 80.5 percent of the team's kill production. They also lost 62.1 percent of their total blocks from a year ago. 
• Portland State had its second lowest kills per set mark dating back to 1986. The Vikings averaged 12.16 kills per set in 2014, lowest since 1999 (11.86). 
• The Vikings will have to replace their all-time leader in digs and two-time Big Sky Libero of the Year, Kasimira "Kasi" Clark. Clark finished her career with 1,851 career digs. 
• Portland State went 9-20 overall and 7-9 on Big Sky play in 2014, their fewest win in each under Head Coach Michael Seemann. 
• Portland State hit .163 as a team while opponents hit .202 in 2014, both worst under Seemann.