PORTLAND – The Vikings made quick work of the Southern Utah Thunderbirds, winning in straight sets Saturday afternoon at Concordia University.
 
Portland State improved to 15-5 overall on the season and closed out the first half of Big Sky Conference play with a 6-2 record. The Vikings took the match by scores of 25-16, 26-24, and 25-23.
 
The Vikings presented the Thunderbirds with a well-balanced offensive attack. Four Vikings tallied double-digit kills, for the second consecutive match, led by SO OH Caitlin Bettenay's match-high 15. She added seven digs, a block, and three consecutive aces in the opening set.
 
SR S Erin Clark gets a lot of the credit for the Vikings' balanced attack. She spread the ball around extremely well with 51 assists in the three-set match, three shy of the Portland State record. She also recorded nine digs and a pair of blocks in the win.
 
JR MB Katy Wilson recorded her fifth double-digit kill match, second straight, with 13 kills on 19 swings. SO OH Toni McDougald added 10 kills on 21 swings in the win.
 
Portland State jumped out to an early 5-0 lead before Southern Utah cut into the lead. The Vikings maintained their five-point lead before another 5-0 run, spurred on by three-straight aces from Bettenay, gave the Vikings the 19-11 lead. The teams traded points to 21-14 before the Vikings rattled off three-straight points to take set point at 24-14. After the Thunderbirds staved off two set points, Bettenay's seventh kill of the frame gave the Vikings the 25-16 win in the first.
 
The seconds set went back and forth before the Vikings scored three-straight points to go up 12-9, which forced the Thunderbirds to take a timeout. Southern Utah came back and tied the set at 15-15. After trading points to 16-16, Portland State took five of the next six point to go up 21-17, capped by their first block of the day.
 
Southern Utah came back once again and tied the set at 22-22. After trading points to 24-24, a quick kill from Clark and a kill from Bettenay gave the Vikings the 26-24 win to go up two sets to none.
 
The Thunderbirds came out of the intermission and jumped out to a quick 5-1 lead. The Vikings came back to tie it and before the lead at 7-6 after a 5-0 run. Portland State took a three-point lead at 15-12 before the T-Birds tied it at 15-15. After the Vikings scored two to go up 17-15, Southern Utah took its second timeout of the set.
 
 The Vikings maintained their two-point lead before the Thunderbirds pulled within one at 23-22. The teams traded points before Wilson ended the match with her 13th kill of the match to give the Vikings the 25-23 win and the sweep.
 
Southern Utah fell to 6-14 overall and 1-7 in league play with the loss.
 
After playing seven of their first eight conference matches at home, the Vikings hit the road next week for matches at Eastern Washington (Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. PT) and at Idaho (Saturday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.). Idaho leads the Big Sky North Division with a 6-1 league record heading into play today.