LOGAN, Utah – The Vikings won the USU Invitational with their straight-set victory over UC Riverside Friday morning in Logan, Utah. It was the first time since 2009 that Portland State has come out of a tournament weekend 3-0.
 
Portland State (7-2 overall) took the match by scores of 25-17, 25-19, and 25-17. The Vikings are off to their best start to a season since 2008, which was the last time they had three straight winning weekends to start the season until this season.
 
Senior OH Pati Anae posted her fourth double-double, second straight, with a match-high 14 kills and 13 digs. She hit just .135 (14-7-52) for the match but added an ace and a block to her double-double. Anae led the Vikings with 4.82 kills per set over the three matches. She also tallied 2.91 digs per set, second on the team.
 
Junior S Erin Clark posted 34 assists (11.33 assists per set) along with three kills, four digs, and a pair of blocks in Friday's win. Clark averaged 11.45 assists per set over the weekend and improved her season mark to a career-high 10.75.
 
Freshman OH Caitlin Bettenay earned the start Friday following a tremendous performance Thursday night off the bench in the Vikings' five-set comeback win over Utah State. She tallied nine kills and four digs, while hitting .333 (9-1-24) against the Highlanders.
 
The Vikings held the Highlanders to an opponent season low .043 (28-23-116) hitting mark. The Vikings tallied just four blocks in the match but recorded 58 digs, a team season high for a three-set match.
 
Portland State jumped out to a 12-4 lead early in the opening frame behind a 9-1 run. The Vikings extended their lead to 19-11 following another run. The Highlanders went on a brief run late in the set but back-to-back UCR attacking errors gave the Vikings the 25-17 win in the first.
 
Portland State played tremendous defense in the opening set, holding UC Riverside to a -.136 hitting mark. The Vikings racked up 25 digs in the set with three players tallying six digs a piece. They also tallied three blocks in the set to contribute to the UCR low hitting percentage.
 
The second set played closer than the first but the Vikings were still able to take it relatively easily. Up 10-9, the Vikings went on an 8-2 run to take a commanding 18-11 lead. Points bounced back and forth throughout the rest of the set before the Vikings took it 25-19.
 
Portland State hit .343 in the second set and was able to spread the ball around. Six Vikings combined for the team's 15 kills in the frame led by Anae's four. Bettenay and sophomore OH Sarah Brennan each had three kills.
 
The Vikings scored early and often in the third set. They jumped out to a 5-3 lead before extending their lead to 13-4 behind the serving of Clark. PSU built up a 10-point lead at 20-10 before UCR was able to put a few points together. It would not be enough as the Vikings took the set 25-17. Anae came up big for the Vikings in the set, tallying six of her 14 kills in the third.
 
Portland State will close out the first part of its schedule next week at the Boise State Classic. The Vikings will open with the Broncos on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m. PT. Portland State will also take on Arizona State and UC Davis.
 
NOTES:
• Portland State recorded 25 digs in the first set, the most in a single set this season.
• Portland State is 7-2 for the first time since 2008.
• Portland State has recorded three straight winning weekends since 2008.
• Pati Anae recorded her fourth double-double with 14 kills and 13 digs.
• Hadley Heck came off the bench for a career-high 13 digs.