SPOKANE, Wash. – Portland State is off to its best start under 11th-year Head Coach Michael Seemann after taking down Arizona State in four sets and sweeping Gonzaga Saturday night in Spokane, Wash.

The Vikings swept the Gonzaga Invitational and improved their record to 5-1 on the season, their best start since opening 9-1 in 2003.
 
Portland State opened the day with its third consecutive win over a Pacific-12 Conference opponent with its four-set win over Arizona State. The Vikings took the match by scores of 25-21, 18-25, 25-20, and 25-23. They defeated both Colorado and Arizona State in 2016.
 
The Vikings concluded the day with a commanding three-set sweep of Gonzaga by scores of 25-17, 25-13, and 25-20. The Vikings hit .309 and held the Bulldogs to an .056 hitting mark. They also tallied their third double-digit block match of the year with 14.0 blocks.
 
SO OH Caitlin Bettenay tallied her third-straight double-double with 17 kills and 10 digs in the Vikings' win over ASU. She then tallied 13 kills, five digs, two blocks, and hit .310 (13-4-29) in the nightcap. Bettenay was named the Gonzaga Invitational MVP after averaging 4.55 kills per set, 2.73 digs per set, while hitting .269 and adding three aces and four blocks over the weekend.
 
JR MB Mikaelyn Sych had a stellar weekend for the Vikings. She posted 10 kills and seven blocks in the win over Arizona State and then tallied nine kills and 10 blocks against Gonzaga. She averaged 2.36 kills and 2.45 blocks per set over the three matches. She tallied a pair of 10 block matches over the weekend, her second and third of the year, and is the first Viking since Katie O'Brien in 2011 with multiple double-digit block performance in a season.
 
The first set against Arizona State was close throughout. With the score tied at 21-21, Portland State closed out the set on a 4-0 run to take the set 25-21. The Sun Devils even the match with a late run to take the second set 25-18.
 
Portland State returned the favor in the third set with a late run of its own. The Vikings took a 24-17 lead after a 7-0 run. The Sun Devils staved off three set points before a kill from Sych put the Vikings up 2-1 with a 25-20 win in the third.
 
Down 23-22 late in the fourth set, the Vikings tied the set at 23-23 on a kill from JR OH Sarah Brennan. An Arizona State attacking error gave the Vikings match point. Bettenay closed out the win with her 17th kill of the match to give the Vikings their second-straight win over Arizona State.
 
After battling the Sun Devils, the Vikings rolled through the Bulldogs to end the day. They went on a 13-1 run late in the first set before taking it 25-17 on a kill from Sych. Portland State took a commanding lead early and then finished the second set on a 7-2 run to take it 25-13.
 
The Vikings jumped out to a 13-4 lead in the third set. Gonzaga fought back and pulled within three at 23-20 before FR OH Parker Webb gave the Vikings the 25-20 win in the third with her eighth kill of the match.
 
Portland State heads out on the road once again next weekend for three matches at the UC Davis Invitational. They open with the Aggies before taking on Santa Clara and Boise State.
 
NOTES:
• Portland State is 5-1 for the first time since 2003.
• Portland State defeated Arizona State for the second consecutive year.
• Portland State has won its last three matches against Pac-12 Conference opponents.
• Caitlin Bettenay recorded her third straight double-double with 17 kills and 10 digs against Arizona State.
• Mikaelyn Sych recorded her third 10-block match of the year with 10 against Gonzaga.