FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Freshman Caitlin Bettenay recorded her second career double-double and sophomore Mikaelyn Sych recorded a career-high 10 kills but the Vikings were unable to overcome a tough hitting performance, falling in four sets to Northern Arizona Thursday night in Flagstaff, Ariz.
 
After Northern Arizona (16-4 overall, 6-1 Big Sky Conference) took the first set by a score of 25-17, Portland State (10-9, 2-5) tied the match with a 25-22 win in the second. The Vikings were unable to capitalize on any momentum built in the second as the Lumberjacks took the final two frames by scores of 25-16 and 25-18.
 
Portland State had a rough night offensively, hitting just .119 for the match. The Vikings hit under .100 in each of the three frames they dropped in the match. They tallied a season-high 33 attacking errors in the match, aided by NAU's 16.0 blocks.
 
Bettenay posted her second career double-double in the match with 13 kills and 10 digs. She posted four kills in the opening frame and three in each of the subsequent sets. She also added a pair of service aces for the Vikings. She posted a match-high 15.0 points for the Vikings, marking the first time this season a Viking other than senior OH Pati Anae led the team in points.
 
Anae was not far behind Bettenay on the night with 14.0 points in the match on 14 kills. She added nine digs in the match, falling just shy of her 10th double-double of the season. After a slow start to the match, with just one kill in the opening frame, Anae posted 10 kills in the second, which propelled the Vikings to their 25-22 win.
 
Sych tallied her first career double-digit kill match with 10 kills on 17 swings. She hit a team-high .471 (10-2-17) in the match. She also added four digs and a team-high three blocks.
 
Junior L Tasha Bojanic tallied a match-high 29 digs in the match, surpassing 900-dig mark for her career. She now has 916 career digs, which is eight best during PSU's DI era (1996-present). She is 35 digs behind Marija Vojnovic's (2006-09) career mark of 951.
 
Junior S Erin Clark posted her eighth double-double of the season with 36 assists and 16 digs. She added three kills, a pair of blocks, and a service ace in the match.
 
Northern Arizona had a one-point lead at 7-6 early in the first set before going on a 12-1 run to go up 19-7. The Lumberjacks would go on to take the set 25-17 aided by seven blocks.
 
Portland State trailed 8-4 in the early stages of the second set. The Vikings took the next five points to take a 9-8 lead after back-to-back kills from Bettenay. After the 'Jacks ended their scoreless streak, the Vikings took seven of the next 10 points to go up 16-12.
 
NAU came back to tie the set at 19-19 before three-straight points by the Vikings put them up 22-19, this time after back-to-back kills from Anae. PSU took the final three points, which included two more Anae kills, to take the second set 25-22.
 
The Lumberjacks came out hot in the third set and jumped out to a quick 10-3 lead. Another run by the 'Jacks put them up 18-8. PSU cut into the lead, but fell 25-16 in the third. The fourth played out like the third as Northern Arizona capped off the four-set win with a 25-18 win in the fourth.
 
NAU had three players with double-digit kills led by Lauren Jacobsen's team-high 12 kills. She added 15 digs for her league-best 15th double-double.
 
The Vikings will now head to Cedar City, Utah to take on the Southern Utah Thunderbirds. SUU is flying high after picking up its first league win with a five-set win over Sacramento State Thursday night.
 
NOTES:
• Erin Clark posted her eighth double-double with 37 assists and 16 digs.
• Caitlin Bettenay posted her second double-double with 13 kills and 10 digs.
• Mikaelyn Sych recorded a career-high 10 kills.
• Tasha Bojanic recorded her 900th career dig in the second set.
• Portland State has now lost a season-high four straight matches.