PORTLAND – Senior OH Pati Anae led the Vikings to a three-set sweep of Idaho State Saturday night at the Peter W. Stott Center in front of her family on Senior Night. The Vikings took the match by scores of 25-21, 25-18, and 25-23.
 
Anae, a native of Laie, Hawaii, posted a match-high 15 kills, while adding 14 digs, for her team-best 15th double-double of the season. Prior to the match, Anae celebrated her final conference home match with her family, which included her sister singing the National Anthem.
 
Anae has led the Vikings' offense all season and has established herself as one of the top offensive players in the nation. She is averaging 4.29 kills per set this year along with 2.92 digs per set. Anae led the Vikings to a 2-0 record on the week with a pair of sweeps to close out Big Sky Conference play. Over the two matches, she averaged 5.33 kills and 4.17 digs per set.
 
Portland State (17-11 overall, 9-7 Big Sky) hit .215 for the match, while holding Idaho State (15-14, 10-6) to a .094 hitting mark. The Vikings had the Bengals on their toes all night at the service line. PSU racked up six aces, three by junior L Tasha Bojanic.
 
Freshman OH Caitlin Bettenay added nine kills and 10 digs in the match while sophomore OH Eva Linden added eight kills. Junior S Erin Clark posted her 14th double-double of the season with 34 assists and 12 digs.
 
Bojanic led the Vikings' defense with 23 of the team's 65 digs on the night. She has averaged 6.33 digs per set over the last two matches. The Vikings out-blocked the Bengals 9-to-6 in the match, led by sophomore MB Mikaelyn Sych's match-high four blocks.
 
Portland State opened the match with a 7-1 run started by Bettenay's ace for the opening point. The Vikings went up 9-2 before a 5-0 run by the Bengals cut the lead to 9-7. Portland State extended its lead to 17-12 after a kill from Anae and an ace from Bojanic, her second of the set.
 
After a pair of Idaho State points, a block from sophomore MB Katy Wilson and Clark put Portland State up 19-15, which forced an Idaho State timeout. After the Bengals took four of the next six points to cut the Vikings' lead to 21-19, Portland State called a timeout. Two straight points by the Vikings forced ISU's final timeout of the set.
 
The Bengals came out of the timeout with back-to-back points to again cut the lead to two points, 23-21, which forced Portland State's final timeout. A kill from Bettenay and an attacking error by the Bengals gave the Vikings a 25-21 win in the opening frame.
 
Portland State took an early 4-1 lead in the second. The Vikings traded points with the Bengals before three-straight put the Vikings up 9-4, which forced an ISU timeout. The Vikings extended their lead to 14-8 following the timeout. Back-to-back points by ISU cut the lead to 10-14.
 
Portland State went on a 5-1 run to go up 20-12, forcing Idaho State's second timeout of the set. The Bengals came out of the timeout with four-straight points to cut the lead to 20-16, forcing a PSU timeout. The teams traded points before a monster kill from Anae gave the Vikings the 25-18 win in the second to go up 2-0 in the match.
 
Idaho State regrouped at the break and opened the third set on a 5-2 run. The teams traded points back and forth before the Vikings were able to cut the lead to 11-10 on a kill from Linden. Clark tied it at 11-11 with a quick kill before Anae gave the Vikings the lead with a big solo block. After an attacking error by Idaho State, Anae came up with a big cross court kill to put the Vikings up 14-11 after a 7-1 run.
 
After the Bengals tied the set at 14-14, the teams again started to trade points. Portland State went on a 3-0 run to take a two-point lead at 19-17, which forced and Idaho State timeout.
 
The Bengals scored three straight out of the timeout to retake the lead at 20-19, forcing a Portland State timeout. Bettenay tied it with a kill before two more points by the Vikings made it 22-20, forcing an ISU timeout. The Bengals were able to tie the set at 23-23 with a service ace. After a Portland State timeout, a kill from Anae gave the Vikings match point at 24-23.
 
In the most fitting ending to the match, Anae gave the Vikings the 25-23 win with her 15th kill of the night. She came up big for the Vikings in the final frame, tallying seven kills and seven digs. She added a solo block in the third, just for good measure.
 
With the Big Sky regular season over, the Vikings turn their attention to next week's Big Sky Volleyball Tournament, which will be hosted by North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D. Portland State will take on Northern Arizona in the second match of the tournament on Thursday, Nov. 17.