LOGAN, Utah – The Vikings completed their biggest comeback win in over five years, coming back from down 0-2 to defeat the Utah State Aggies, 3-2, Thursday night at the USU Invitational in Logan, Utah.
 
After Utah State (3-5 overall) took the first two sets by scores of 25-23 and 25-18, Portland State (6-2) settled down and got back to its game in the third set. The Vikings took the third 25-22 before taking the fourth set 25-21, to force the decisive fifth set. PSU took control midway through the fifth and did not give it up, take the set 15-9 to complete the comeback win.
 
It was the second time this season the Vikings have forced a fifth set after dropping the first two. The last time, a 3-2 loss to Fresno State, Portland State was unable to come all the way back. Thursday's win marked the first time The Vikings were able to come back from 0-2 to win since they did it against Seattle on Aug. 31, 2011.
 
Down 0-2 to start the third set, the Vikings turned the match around with tremendous defensive play. They recorded 8.0 blocks in the third set alone en route to a season-high 13.0 blocks for the match. Sophomore MB Katy Wilson led the way with four of her five blocks in the frame.
 
Sophomore MB Mikaelyn Sych and sophomore OH Sarah Brennan each added three blocks in the set. Brennan put together the best match of her career with career highs in kills with 10 and blocks with seven. Sych also added seven blocks in the match, both matched the PSU individual season high set by Wilson earlier this season.
 
The Vikings were down 9-6 in the third but came up with back-to-back-to-back blocks to tie the set at 9-9. PSU fell behind 13-10 but fought its way back to tie the set at 17-17 following a kill from freshman OH Caitlin Bettenay. The Vikings rattled off two more points to go up 19-17, to force a Utah State timeout. Both teams battled hard with the points going back and forth before a Brennan kill gave the Vikings the 25-22 win in the set.  
 
The Vikings also dialed up the defense with 16 of the team's season-high 80 digs in the set. The Vikings had four players with double-digit digs for the first time this season, led by junior L Tasha Bojanic's match-high 25. It was her second 20-dig match of the season. PSU's 80 digs as a team marked the first time the team tallied 80-plus since posting 98 against Sacramento State in 2014.
 
The Vikings offense took over in the fourth set as they hit a match-high .395 in the frame. Bettenay came off the bench and provided a spark for the Vikings in the fourth with six of her 13 kills in the match. She hit .500 in the set, going 6-for-10 with one error.
 
The Vikings took a three-point lead, at 14-11, midway through the fourth set. They held the lead until the Aggies tied it at 17-17. Utah State took the lead at 18-17 before two straight by the Vikings gave them the 19-18 lead, forcing a USU timeout. Back-to-back kills from Bettenay gave the Vikings the cushion they needed at 21-18. Bettenay gave the Vikings the set win at 25-21, to send the match to a fifth set.
 
Portland State held a narrow one-point lead in the fifth at 7-6 before back-to-back kills from Bettenay put the Vikings up 9-6, to force a Utah State timeout. The Aggies took the first point following the timeout but the Vikings took five of the next six point to go up 14-8. The Aggies fought off a match point before their 10th service error of the match finished off the win for the Vikings.
 
Senior OH Pati Anae continued her excellent play with a match-high 24 kills for her fourth 20-kill match of the year. She has led the Vikings in kills and points in all eight matches this season. She is averaging 5.00 kills and 5.62 points per set. She added 12 digs for her second double-double of the season.
 
Junior S Erin Clark posted her fourth consecutive double-double with a career-high 57 assists and 11 digs. Clark has posted 50-or-more assists in three of her last four matches. She is averaging 10.68 assists and 2.40 digs per set this season.  
 
Portland State will go for its first weekend sweep Friday against the UC Riverside. The Vikings and Highlanders square-off at 10 a.m. PT. The last time the Vikings went 3-0 at a non-conference tournament was at the Circus Circus Invitational in 2009.
 
NOTES:
• Portland State came back from a 0-2 deficit to win for the first time since 2011.
• Portland State recorded a season-high 13.0 blocks.
• Portland State had four players with double-digit digs for the first time this season.
• Portland State had four players with double-digit kills for the second time this season.
• Pati Anae recorded her fourth 20-kill performance of the season.
• Anae recorded her third double-double of the season with 24 kills and 12 digs.
• Erin Clark posted her fourth straight double-double with a career-high 57 assists and 11 digs.
• Sarah Brennan recorded a career-high 7.0 blocks, tied for the most by a Viking this season.
• Brennan recorded a career-high 10 kills.
• Mikaelyn Sych recorded a career-high 7.0 blocks, tied for the most by a Viking this season.
• Haley Glass recorded her first career double-digit dig performance at Portland State with 15.
• Katy Wilson recorded her third double-digit kill performance of the season with 11.
• Caitlin Bettenay recorded her third double-digit kill performance with 13 off the bench.