Complete Release in PDF Format
2016 Portland State Tournament Page
THIS WEEK: The Portland State volleyball team opens its 2016 season this weekend with three matches at the Peter W. Stott Center. The Vikings will host six matches in all at the Stott Center as they welcome Long Beach State, Colorado, and Texas Tech. They start the season against Long Beach State on Friday, Aug. 26 at 4 p.m. PT.
The 2016 season will mark the final year in the Stott Center for PSU Volleyball. Due to the construction of the new Viking Pavilion, Portland State will play its 2017 off campus before playing in the Pavilion in 2018.
LIVE VIDEO: A live video stream will be available for all three Portland State matches over the opening weekend of the season. The stream can be found at
GoViks.com/Live.
LIVE STATS: Live stats for all six matches will be available online at
ViksLive.com.
FOLLOW THE VIKINGS: Fans can follow the Vikings 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.
NEW LOOK FOR PORTLAND STATE: Portland State University, in partnership with Nike, unveiled a dramatic new look for PSU athletics, designed to modernize one of the state's top programs, on May 20, 2016.
Modeled on a Viking shield, the new logo symbolizes tradition and strength, with elements that call out PSU's urban heritage and indomitable spirit. Along with a re-stylized Viking head, the logos replace the former helmet design and will become the trademark brands for PSU athletics.
LONG BEACH STATE QUICK HITS
• Long Beach State went 25-6 overall last season, while going 13-3 in Big West play.
• The 49ers return eight letterwinners and four starters from last year's team. They add seven newcomers and one redshirt.
• As a program, Long Beach State is 1,184-412-6 (.741) overall with four national championships, last coming in 1998. The 49ers have made eight NCAA Final Four appearances, last coming in 2001.
• Outside hitter Nele Barber is the team's returner after being named to the All-Big West First Team a year ago. She recorded 23 double-doubles with 3.98 kills and 3.37 digs per set.
VS. LONG BEACH STATE: Portland State and Long Beach State have met just twice before, last coming in 1981. The 49ers have taken both meetings.
COLORADO QUICK HITS
• Colorado went 19-13 overall last season and 11-9 in Pacific-12 Conference play. Head Coach Jesse Mahone is in his first season with the program.
• The Buffaloes return 10 letterwinners from last season, including four starters.
• The Buffaloes are 500-410 (.549) all-time since 1986. They have 17 NCAA appearances, last coming in 2014.
• Middle blocker Naghede Abu returns after leading the team in blocks, eighth in the Pac-12, with 1.20 blocks per set. She added 1.18 kills per set with a .254 hitting percentage.
VS. COLORADO: Colorado took the only meeting in the series in 2014. The Buffaloes took the match in straight sets winning 25-20, 26-24, and 25-12.
TEXAS TECH QUICK HITS
• Texas Tech went 14-16 overall and 3-13 in Big 12 Conference play. Head Coach Tony Graystone is in his first season leading the program.
• The Red Raiders return 12 letterwinners and four starters from a year ago. They add 11 newcomers to the program.
• Texas Tech is 816-669-6 (.547) all-time since 1975. The Red Raiders have made eight NCAA appearances, last in 2001.
• Middle Blocker Lauren Douglas led the team in kills last season with 3.95 kills per set. She also added 0.94 blocks per set on the year. She earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors for the second consecutive season in 2015.
VS. TEXAS TECH: Portland State and Texas Tech have met just three times but only once since the 1983 season. Portland State took the first two meetings in 1979 and 1983 before Texas Tech took the last meeting, 3-1, last season at the Lone Star Showdown. Portland State took the first set, 25-23, before dropping the next three.
2015 TEAM NOTES: Here are some quick hitters about the 2015 PSU volleyball team:
• The Vikings went 9-19 overall last season and 5-11 in Big Sky play. They were 5-6 at home, 2-10 on the road, and 2-3 in neutral site matches.
• Portland State went 5-8 in three-set matches, 2-8 in four-set matches, and 2-3 in five-set matches.
• Portland State finished the season 11th in the Big Sky with a .172 team hitting mark, while opponents hit .241, 10th in the league.
• Portland State was fourth in the Big Sky with 1.41 aces per set.
• Portland State won the third set against Montana State (10/24/15), 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 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.
•
Jenna Mullen was named the Big Sky Conference's Freshman of the Year after leading the Vikings, ninth in the conference, with 3.08 kills per set.
• Eight Vikings:
Pati Anae,
Tasha Bojanic,
Hadley Heck,
Eva Linden,
Sarah Liva,
Jenna Mullen,
Olivia Skalbeck, and
Katy Wilson all earned Big Sky Fall All-Academic Honors.
#4 | JENNA MULLEN QUICK HITTERS: Here are some quick hitters about
Jenna Mullen, a sophomore outside hitter from Puyallup, Wash.
• She was named the Big Sky Conference's Freshman of the Year.
• She led the Vikings, ninth in the Big Sky, with 3.08 kills per set.
• She recorded 18 double-digit kill performances and one double-digit dig performance.
• She led the team, seventh in the Big Sky, with 0.31 aces per set.
• She was named to the Big Sky Fall All-Academic team.
#9 | PATI ANAE QUICK HITTERS: Here are some quick hitters about
Pati Anae, a senior outside hitter from Laie, Hawaii.
• She finished the 2015 season third on the team with 2.84 kills per set.
• She was second on the team with 2.51 digs per set and led the team with 11 double-doubles.
• She posted 14 double-digit kill and 15 double-digit dig performances.
• She recorded a season-high 21 kills against Montana State (10/24/15).
• She was named to the Big Sky Fall All-Academic team.
• She was named to the Northwest Challenge All-Tournament team.
#11 | TASHA BOJANIC QUICK HITTERS: Here are some quick hitters about
Tasha Bojanic, a junior libero from Belgrade, Serbia.
• She led the Vikings with 4.11 digs per set, seventh in the Big Sky.
• She was second on the team with 0.30 aces per set, seventh in the Big Sky.
• She posted 25 double-digit dig performances in 27 matches, including six 20-plus dig matches.
• She was named to the Big Sky Fall All-Academic team.
• She was named to the Lone Star Showdown All-Tournament Team.
#14 | ERIN CLARK QUICK HITTERS: Here are some quick hitters about
Erin Clark, a junior setter from Chino Hills, Calif.
• She averaged 5.17 assists per set over 60 sets while splitting time as the team's setter.
• She has missed 12 matches due to injury in 2015.
• She recorded four double-doubles on the season.
#19 | EVA LINDEN QUICK HITTERS: Here are some quick hitters about
Eva Linden, a sophomore outside hitter from Milton, Wash.
• She finished second on the team with 2.85 kills per set.
• She averaged 1.99 digs and 3.32 points per set.
• She posted a career-high 21 kills against Montana State (10/24/15). 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 was named to the Rebel Challenge All-Tournament Team.
#30 KYLIE COPPLE QUICK HITTERS: Here are some quick hitters about
Kylie Copple, a junior setter from Aurora, Colo.
• She played in all 104 sets as the team's setter. She split time with fellow setter
Erin Clark before Clark missed the final eight matches due to injury.
• She led the team with 6.55 assists per set. She recorded 24 double-digit assist matches, including one 50-assist performance.
• She posted a pair of double-doubles on the season.
• She 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 (10/24/15).
SCHEDULE NOTES: Here are some quick hitters about the Vikings' 2016 schedule.
• Portland State will face four non-conference opponents that it saw last season. The Vikings went 0-4 in those matches.
• Portland State will face a pair of NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago (Northern Arizona and Arizona State).
• Portland State will play 12 home matches, 11 road matches, and six matches at a neutral site.
• The 2016 Big Sky Volleyball Championship will be Nov. 14-16 and will be hosted by the Regular Season Championship.
• Portland State will play six of its first eight Big Sky Conference matches on the road.
• Portland State will close its conference season with six of its last eight matches at home.
PRESEASON QUICK HITTERS: Here are some quick hitters about the 2016 Portland State volleyball team entering the season.
• Portland State returns 10 letterwinners, the most since 2013 when the Vikings went 21-11 overall and 17-3 in Big Sky Conference play to earn a share of the regular season championship.
• Portland State returns all four of their outside hitters from a year ago, one year after returning nobody at the position.
• Portland State went 9-19 overall and 7-11 in Big Sky Play in 2015, tied for its fewest wins under Head Coach
Michael Seemann.
• Portland State was selected to finish seventh in the Big Sky Coaches' Preseason Poll.
