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LUBBOCK, Texas – The Portland State volleyball team concluded action at the Lone Star Showdown Saturday morning with a three-set loss to Washington State in Lubbock, Texas. The Vikings came as close as they could without taking a set, losing by scores of 25-23, 25-23, and 25-23.
 
Freshman OH Jenna Mullen led the Vikings in kills for the second time on the weekend with a match-high 14 kills. She tallied 12 kills over the first two sets before cooling off with just two in the third.
 
Sophomore MB Sarah Liva matched her career high in kills for the second time on the weekend with nine against the Cougars. She also added a team-high three blocking assists in the match. Sophomore L Tasha Bojanic improved her career high in digs, for the third time in four matches, with 25 against Washington State. She also added one of the Vikings' three aces.
 
Neither team struck the ball particularly well as Washington State outhit Portland State .167-to-.079 for the match. The difference came at the net, where the Cougars held a 16-to-6 advantage in blocks.

Each set came down to the final few points and was determined by which team was able to finish out the set. In the first set, Portland State led 23-21 but two straight errors by PSU and two kills by WSU gave the Cougars the 25-23 lead.
 
Portland State again led late in the second set but was unable to finish it out to even the match. The Vikings were up 23-17 but eight-straight points by the Cougars, including four-straight PSU attacking errors, gave WSU the 25-23 win to go up 2-0.
 
The third set again came down to the final few points. The set was tied at 20-20, 21-21, 22-22, and 23-23 before the Cougars were able to string two points together to close out the win 25-23.
 
Portland State fell to 4-8 overall while Washington State improved to 11-1.
 
The Vikings return home for their Big Sky Conference opener against Northern Arizona on Thursday, September 24 at the Peter W. Stott Center. The match is slated for a 7 p.m. PT start. The Lumberjacks are 8-3 on the season coming into play today.
 
NOTES: Tasha Bojanic improved her career high in digs to 25.