PORTLAND – Portland State recorded its fifth-consecutive sweep, taking down the Weber State Wildcats in straight sets Saturday night on the campus of Concordia University in Portland, Ore.
 
Portland State took the match by scores of 25-23, 25-22, and 25-6. The Vikings improved to 11-3 overall on the year and 2-0 in Big Sky Conference play. It is just the second time in NCAA Division I play that the Vikings are 11-3 through 14 matches. The only other time was in 2008 when the Vikings went 20-9 and made its first NCAA Tournament at the DI level.
 
After taking two closely played sets, the Vikings imposed their will and dominated the Wildcats in the third, winning 25-6. It was the second time this season that the Vikings held an opponent under 10 points in a set, they held Eastern Kentucky to just seven points in the third set of a sweep to close out the opening weekend of the season.
 
The seven points allowed to Eastern Kentucky were the fewest in a set since scoring moved to 25 points in 2008.
 
The Vikings came out of the intermission and on a mission and stormed out to a 7-0 lead behind the tough serving of JR DS Haley Glass, which forced a Weber State timeout. After back-to-back points for the Wildcats out of the timeout, Sych threw down a monster kill to go up 8-2.
 
JR MB Katy Wilson and FR OH Parker Webb teamed up for a block before SO OH Caitlin Bettenay tallied her second solo block of the match to put PSU up 10-2, which forced Weber State's second and final timeout of the set. The Vikings went on a 5-0 run to go up 12-2 before a WSU block ended the run.
 
Up 12-3, the Vikings went on another 5-0 run to take a 17-3. After a PSU attacking error, the Vikings went on another run to go up 21-4. A PSU service error gave the Wildcats their fifth point of the set at 21-5. The Vikings gave up one more point, taking the third 25-6.
 
Portland State hit .435 in the third set, while holding the Wildcats to a -.167 hitting mark. Wilson went a perfect 5-for-5 in the third. Portland State sent just five players to the service line as they took the third set without completing a full service rotation.
 
The Vikings defense improved every set as they became more comfortable with the Wildcat hitters. Weber State recorded 20 kills in the opening set, 12 in the second, and just two in the third.
 
Portland State hit .343 for the match, while holding Weber State to a .176 hitting mark.
 
Bettenay led all players with 14 kills and three service errors. She also added three blocks, including a career-high two solo blocks.
 
Wilson added 12 kills and hit .611 for the match (12-1-18) becoming the second Vikings in as many matches to hit over .600 from the floor with at least 12 kills. Webb hit .636 (13-1-19) with 13 kills Thursday night against Idaho State. Webb hit .467 (8-1-15) with eight kills four digs, and a pair of blocks Saturday.
 
SO OH Toni McDougald came off the bench and tallied 10 kills on 22 swings, while hitting .364 (10-22-22).
 
SR S Erin Clark posted another stellar match for the Vikings. She tallied 41 assists, eight digs, and three blocks (1-2). Her 41 assist is tied for the most in the Big Sky this season in a three-set match this season.
                                                                                                                          
The opening set was as competitive as any the Vikings have played this season. There were 15 ties and seven lead changes. The Vikings took an early lead but it did not last as the Wildcats came back and took the lead at 6-5. Portland State retook the lead but Weber State was right there and went on a run to take an 11-9 lead midway through the set.
 
The Vikings took the lead once again at 14-13 after a 3-0 run. From that point on, neither team would score more than two points in a row the rest of the frame. Down by one, Bettenay recorded back-to-back kills to put the Vikings up 21-20. The teams traded points to 22-22 before another kill from Bettenay and a block from Clark and Wilson put the Vikings up 24-22.
 
Weber State staved off one set point before Wilson tallied her fifth kill of the frame to give the Vikings the 25-23 win in the first.
 
After the Vikings took an early 11-5 lead in the second set, the Wildcats came storming back, going on a 7-2 run to tie the set and then take an 18-16 lead. The Vikings came back with three of the next four points to tie it at 19-19.
 
After a Weber State point, the Vikings went on a 3-0 run on kills from Webb and Bettenay and a service ace from Glass. After a PSU service error, Webb came up with another big kill followed by a block from Wilson and Bettenay to give the Vikings set point at 24-21.
 
Weber State returned the favor with a block of its own before a kill from Wilson once again gave the Vikings the win, this time at 25-22.
 
The teams headed to their respective locker rooms before the Vikings came out and rolled to a 25-6 win in the third to sweep the match.
 
The Vikings hit the road for the first time in Big Sky play when they travel to Bozeman, Mont. to take on the Montana State Bobcats Thursday, Sept. 28. Portland State will head back to the Rose City to take on Sacramento State on Saturday, Sept. 30. The Bobcats are 0-2 so far in league play, while the Hornets are 2-0.