Complete Match Notes (PDF)

FIRST SERVE
The Portland State volleyball team snapped two significant streaks in its last match against Southern Utah on Saturday, and will be looking to end more runs of bad luck on the road against Eastern Washington and Idaho this weekend.
 
The Vikings outhit the Thunderbirds .181-to-.165 in the match Saturday, the first time the Vikings had done that since their season-opening win over Long Beach State on Aug. 24. Additionally, the Vikings held the Thunderbirds to under .200 hitting in the match, the first time the Vikings had done that to an opponent since that same season-opening win over Long Beach State.
 
The streak the Vikings would really like to break, however, is the 15-match losing streak that has been on the team's mind since winning that match against Long Beach State back in August.
 
The Vikings appeared to play well enough to snap the streak last Saturday, but the Thunderbirds came back to beat the Vikings, 3-1, after the Vikings won the first set of the match. Besides outhitting the Thunderbirds and holding them to less than .200 hitting, the Vikings also recorded a season-high 79 digs in the match, and committed only 19 attack errors – a season low for the Vikings in a four-set match this season.
 
Additionally, several individuals played some of their best matches of the season against the Thunderbirds, especially senior Katy Wilson, who broke out of a recent funk while tying a career-high with 13 kills in the match. Wilson did not commit an error while recording her 13 kills on 22 total attacks, giving her a season-best hitting percentage of .591.
 
Sophomore Maddy Reeb also recorded her second double-double of the season Saturday, as she totaled 18 assists and 11 digs to go with four kills and four total blocks. Both Peyton and Mary Jo McBride were also a single stat away from double-doubles in the match, as Peyton McBride finished with nine kills and a career-high 19 digs, while Mary Jo McBride finished with 19 assists and nine digs.
 
Senior libero Hadley Heck, meanwhile, led the Vikings with 22 digs against the Thunderbirds, the third time in six starts at libero that Heck has gone over 20 digs in a match. Heck has averaged 4.9 digs per set since taking over as the Vikings' full-time libero, and has been even better in Big Sky play where she ranks fourth with 5.13 digs per set against conference opponents.
 
The Vikings' first opponent this weekend, Eastern Washington, has had a similar run of bad luck, as they've been swept in each of their first four Big Sky matches. The Eagles have lost in straight sets to Idaho, Northern Colorado, Idaho State and Weber State, and have failed to score at least 20 points in their last seven sets.
 
The Vandals, who the Vikings play Saturday, had been a good run of play until losing a pair of 3-1 matches to Weber State and Idaho State last weekend. The Vandals have been strong statistically in Big Sky play, as they rank in the top three of the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.166), assists per set (12.64), kills per set (13.57) and blocks per set (2.79) in conference matches.
 
The Vikings face the Eagles at 6 p.m. (PT) Thursday, and then play the Vandals at 7 p.m. Saturday.
 
STORYLINES
Who/What is Hot:
• The Vikings played one of their best matches of the season against Southern Utah last Saturday. The Vikings outhit the Thunderbirds .181-to-.165, the first time the Vikings had outhit an opponent since their season-opening win against Long Beach State on Aug. 24. The match against the Thunderbirds was also the first time the Vikings had held their opponents to less than .200 hitting since the season-opening win over Long Beach State. Additionally, the Vikings recorded a season-high 79 digs in the match, while committing only 19 attack errors – a season low for the Vikings in a four-set match.
• Senior Katy Wilson tied a career high with 13 kills on 22 attacks and no errors while hitting a season-best .591 in the Vikings' match against Southern Utah last Saturday.
• Sophomore Maddy Reeb recorded her second double-double of the season with 18 assists and 11 digs to go with four kills and four total blocks in the Vikings' match against Southern Utah last Saturday. Both Peyton and Mary Jo McBride were also a single stat away from double-doubles in the match, as Peyton McBride finished with nine kills and a career-high 19 digs, while Mary Jo McBride finished with 19 assists and nine digs.
• Senior libero Hadley Heck has recorded 20+ digs in three of the Vikings' last six matches between the team's matches against Indiana State (22 digs), Montana State (23 digs) and Southern Utah (22 digs). Heck has averaged 4.9 digs per set since taking over as the Vikings' full-time libero on Sept. 15, and has been even better in Big Sky play. Heck ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 5.13 digs per set against conference opponents.
And Not:
• The Vikings have played with 10 players or less in all four of their Big Sky matches, and were down to just nine players against Montana on Sept. 22.
• The Vikings outhit Southern Utah .181-to-.165 last Saturday but still lost. The Vikings hadn't outhit an opponent and lost since a 3-2 loss to Montana on Oct. 24, 2014.
• The Vikings have lost 15 matches in a row, the longest losing streak for the program since the Vikings lost 48 matches in a row from Sept. 4, 1999 to Aug. 31, 2001. 
• The Vikings have been outhit in all but two matches this season. The two matches where the Vikings outhit their opponents came in their season-opening win over Long Beach State on Aug. 24, and their 3-1 loss to Southern Utah last Saturday. Those are also the only two matches in which the Vikings have held their opponent to less than .200 hitting in the match.
 
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (1-15, 0-4 Big Sky)
10.43 k/s | 9.79 a/s | 14.20 d/s | 1.64 b/s
Notable: The Portland State Vikings played with only 10 players while losing to Northern Arizona and Southern Utah last weekend. The absences cost the Vikings in both matches, but the Vikings will lament the loss to Southern Utah on Saturday even more as they played well enough to win despite being shorthanded. The Vikings outhit the Thunderbirds .181-to-.165 in the match but still lost, the first time the Vikings had outhit an opponent and lost since a 3-2 loss to Montana on Oct. 24, 2014. The Vikings can still take positives from the match, including the fact that the Thunderbirds' .165 hitting percentage marked the first time the Vikings had held an opponent to under .200 hitting since their season-opening win over Long Beach State on Aug. 24. That was also the last time the Vikings outhit an opponent, and the Vikings committed only 19 attack errors, a season low for the Vikings in a four-set match. Additionally, senior Katy Wilson returned to form in the match, leading the team with 13 kills on 22 attacks and no errors. Wilson's 13 kills tied a career high for the Vikings senior, while her .591 hitting percentage was a season high. Sophomore Maddy Reeb also recorded her second double-double with 18 assists and 11 digs to go with four kills and four total blocks. Both Peyton and Mary Jo McBride were a single stat away from double-doubles in the match, themselves, as Peyton McBride finished with nine kills and a career-high 19 digs, while Mary Jo McBride finished with 19 assists and nine digs. Senior Hadley Heck led the Vikings with 22 digs against the Thunderbirds, the third time in six starts as the Vikings' full-time libero that she's gone over 20 digs in a match.
 
EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES (8-8, 0-4 Big Sky)
11.25 k/s | 10.30 a/s | 16.34 d/s | 1.88 b/s
Notable:The Eastern Washington Eagles finished the non-conference schedule with an 8-4 record but have been swept in their first four Big Sky matches of the season to fall to 8-8. The Eagles lost in straight sets to Idaho, Northern Colorado, Idaho State and Weber State, and have failed to score at least 20 points in their last seven sets. The Eagles have hit just .081 as a team in their first four Big Sky matches, the worst hitting percentage in conference matches of any team in the conference. The Eagles also have the worst opponent hitting percentage in conference matches at .316, and rank last in kills per set (8.75), service aces per set (0.50) and digs per set (12.75) against Big Sky opponents. Senior outside hitter Alexandra Espinosa leads the Eagles with 2.64 kills per set in all matches this season, and is also the only Eagles player to average above two kills per set in conference matches. Freshman middle blocker Kennedy Kaminsky also ranks second on the team with 2.11 kills per set, and averages a team-best hitting percentage of .214. Sophomore defensive specialist Puaoolelagi Sao leads the Eagles with 3.83 digs per set in all matches, and has been even better in Big Sky play with 4.33 digs per set against conference opponents. Sophomore libero Catelyn Linke ranks second on the team with 3.11 digs per set in all matches this season. Sophomore middle blocker Kamille Langford leads the Eagles with 0.87 blocks per sets in all matches this season, while Kamisky leads the Eagles with 0.83 digs per set in conference matches.
 
EASTERN WASHINGTON SERIES HISTORY
The Vikings lead the overall series between them and the Eagles, 28-27, while the Eagles lead the Big Sky series, 24-16. The Eagles have won the majority of the matches in Cheney, Wash., in both cases, however, as the Eagles lead 14-6 at home in Big Sky matches, and 15-10 overall. The Vikings have won the last two matches against the Eagles, and 14 of their last 15 matches.
 
IDAHO VANDALS (8-8, 2-2 Big Sky)
12.85 k/s | 12.00 a/s | 14.53 d/s | 2.63 b/s
Notable: The Idaho Vandals swept Eastern Washington and Northern Colorado on the road to open Big Sky play on Sept. 18 and Sept. 20, respectively, but then lost 3-1 to both Weber State and Idaho State last weekend. The Vandals will play their first home match of the Big Sky season Thursday, when they host Sacramento State at Memorial Gym. The Vandals went 6-6 during the non-conference schedule with wins over Santa Clara (3-0), Grand Canyon (3-2), CSUN (3-2), North Texas (3-0), San Diego State (3-1) and Cal State Fullerton (3-1). The Vandals lead the Big Sky with a .241 team hitting percentage in all matches this season, and also lead the conference with 2.63 blocks per set. The Vandals have also been one of the best teams statistically in Big Sky play, as they rank in the top three of the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.166), assists per set (12.64), kills per set (13.57) and blocks per set (2.79) in conference matches. Two different Vandal players rank in the top 10 of the conference in overall hitting percentage in DeVonne Ryter (.359) and Kaela Straw (.281). Straw also leads the Vandals with 3.49 kills per set, ranking her sixth in the Big Sky this season, while teammates Reece Carman and Sarah Sharp rank ninth and 10th, respectively, with 3.09 and 3.06 kills per set. Sharp has been the hot hand for the Vandals in Big Sky play, however, as she ranks fifth in the conference with 3.64 kills per set against conference opponents. Ryter and teammate Nikki Ball rank in the top 10 in blocks per set, with Ball fourth with 1.16 blocks per set, and Ryter fifth with 1.11 blocks per set. Haylee Mathis and Donnee Janzen have each played at setter for the Vandals, and average 9.68 and 6.57 assists per set, respectively. Alycia Wodke has locked down the libero position for the Vandals, and ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 4.82 digs per set.
 
IDAHO SERIES HISTORY
The Vikings lead the overall series between them and the Vandals, 16-4, as well as the Big Sky series, 3-1. The Vikings have won their last two matches against the Vandals, including a 3-0 win in Moscow, Idaho, last season. 
 
LIVE STATS
Live stats will be available from both matches this weekend. Fans can find the links to live stats on the volleyball schedule page at GoViks.com.
 
LIVE VIDEO
A live video stream will be available from both matches this weekend. Fans can find the link to the live streams on the volleyball schedule page at GoViks.com.
 
LAST WEEK
The Vikings lost both matches of a home weekend against Northern Arizona and Southern Utah last weekend. The Vikings lost 3-0 to the Lumberjacks Thursday, and lost 3-1 to the Thunderbirds Saturday. The Vikings won the opening set against the Thunderbirds, 25-18, but then lost the next three sets in a row to drop the match. The Vikings could still take positives from the match against SUU, however. The Vikings held the Thunderbirds to just .165 hitting in the match, the first time the Vikings had held an opponent to under .200 hitting since their season-opening win over Long Beach State on Aug. 24. Additionally, the Vikings outhit the Vikings .181-to-.165 in the match – the first time the Vikings had outhit an opponent since their season-opening win. Senior Katy Wilson also returned to form in the match, as she tied a career high with 13 kills on 22 attacks and no errors while hitting a season-best .591 in the match. Sophomore Maddy Reeb recorded her second double-double of the season against the Thunderbirds, as she finished with 18 assists and 11 digs to go with four kills and four total blocks in the match. Both Peyton and Mary Jo McBride were also a single stat from double-doubles against the Thunderbirds, as Peyton McBride finished with nine kills and a career-high 19 digs, while Mary Jo McBride finished with 19 assists and nine digs.
 
UPCOMING
The Vikings return home for two straight weeks following their road trip to Eastern Washington and Idaho. The Vikings will host Weber State and Idaho State next weekend, as they face the Wildcats Thursday, Oct. 11, and the Bengals Saturday, Oct. 13. Both matches will start at 7 p.m.
 
INJURY BUG
The Vikings have been down to 10 players or fewer for three of their four Big Sky matches, and were down to just nine players for the fourth. The Vikings were without regular starters Peyton McBride and Parker Webb against Montana State and Montana on the first weekend of Big Sky play, and then lost senior Jenna Mullen ahead of the team's match against Montana. McBride returned for the Vikings' home matches against Northern Arizona and Southern Utah last weekend, but the Vikings remained without Mullen. Those injuries, coupled with the season-ending injuries to Brooke Imirie and Sarah Brennan, left the Vikings with only one or two options on the outside as only Toni McDougald has stayed healthy throughout the season among the Vikings' outside hitters. The Vikings have gotten creative with their lineup as a result, as Katy Wilson, Whitney Turner and Maddy Reeb have all spent time on the outside.
 
VIKINGS HAVE A HECK OF A LIBERO:
Senior Hadley Heck has started the Vikings' last six matches at libero, starting with the Vikings' match against Colorado State on Sept. 15 at the Colorado Classic. Heck has recorded 20+ digs in three matches since taking over as the team's libero between the Vikings' matches against Indiana State (22 digs), Montana State (23 digs) and Southern Utah (22 digs). Heck has averaged 4.9 digs per set since taking over as the Vikings' full-time libero, and has been even better in Big Sky play. Heck ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 5.13 digs per set against conference opponents.
 
VERSATILITY, THY NAME IS MADDY REEB:
Sophomore setter Maddy Reeb has made the most of the Vikings' lineup shifts due to injury, as she's posted a pair of stat-stuffing matches since playing both on the outside and at setter. Reeb recorded a double-double in the Vikings' match against the Thunderbirds last Saturday, finishing with 18 assists and 11 digs to go with four kills and four total blocks. Rebb also had a double-double against Montana State on Sept. 20, when she finished with 20 assists and 11 digs to go with five kills, two service aces and five total blocks. Reeb did not have a double-double against Northern Arizona last Thursday, but finished with 15 assists, seven digs and five kills in the match.
 
BIG SKY LEADERS
• Senior outside hitter Jenna Mullen ranks seventh in the Big Sky with 3.18 kills per set in all matches this season.
• Junior setter Mary Jo McBride ranks fifth in the Big Sky with 0.47 service aces per set in conference matches.
• Senior libero Hadley Heck ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 5.13 digs per set in conference matches.
• The Vikings rank fifth in the Big Sky with 16.20 digs per set in conference matches.
 
MICHAEL SEEMANN JOINS 200-WIN CLUB
Portland State head coach Michael Seemann earned his 200th career win at Portland State with the Vikings' 3-0 sweep of Long Beach State on Aug. 24. Seemann became the third coach in the history of the Viking volleyball program to reach 200 wins, joining Marlene Piper (445 wins; 1969-72 & 1974-83) and Jeff Mozzochi (371 wins; 1984-92 & 2001-06). Teri Mariani, who coached the Viking softball team from 1977-2005, owns the most wins of any Viking head coach with 663 wins in her tenure. Two baseball coaches – Jack Dunn (1975-94) and Roy Love (1962-74) – also reached the 200-win plateau with 630 and 257 wins, respectively. Seemann also became the 11th coach in Big Sky history to reach 200 wins, as well as the second active coach, joining Northern Colorado's Lyndsey Oates, who has 234 wins in 13 years with the Bears.
 
Most Coaching Wins at Portland State
Coach                          Wins          Team                           Years
Teri Mariani                663            Softball                       1977-2005
Jack Dunn                    630            Baseball                      1975-94
Marlene Piper             445            Volleyball                    1969-72, 1974-83
Jeff Mozzochi              371            Volleyball                    1984-92, 2001-06
Roy Love                      257            Baseball                      1962-74
Michael Seemann       200            Volleyball                    2007-Present
 
KATY WILSON CAREER RECORD WATCH
Senior middle blocker Katy Wilson moved back up close to the career record for hitting percentage with her performance against Southern Utah Saturday. Wilson currently sports a .301 hitting percentage, one percentage point behind the Division I career record that Lana Zielke set at .302 from 2008-10. Wilson's average would also rank eighth all time since 1982 across all NCAA Divisions if the season ended today. Kristi Scott currently holds the top career hitting percentage since 1982, as she hit .341 when the Vikings were a Division II program from 1990-91. Additionally, Wilson ranks eighth all time in Division I career solo blocks with 45 in her career. Michelle Segun holds the Division I career record with 89 solo blocks from 2004-07.
 
HITTING PCT. (1982-Pres.)             
Minimum 1,000 Attempts
Rk   Name                                         Avg
1.     Kristi Scott (1990-91)                 .341
2.     Peggy Adams (1992-95)            .333
3.     Wendy Coleman (1990-91)       .320
4.     Leanne Peters (1990-93)           .319
5.     Theresa Huitinga (1982-85)       .305
6.     Robin Unger (1992-93)              .305
7.     Lana Zielke (2008-10)                .302
8.     Katy Wilson (2015-Pres.)          .301
9.     Jenny Norlin (1986-89)              .297
10.   Maria Rickman (1986-89)          .288
 
HITTING PCT. – DI (1996-Pres.)      
Minimum 1,000 Attempts
Rk   Name                                         Avg
1.     Lana Zielke (2008-10)                .302
2.     Katy Wilson (2015-Pres.)          .301
3.     Lisa Thomas (2001-04)              .287
4.     Jessica Frederick (2003-06)       .270
5.     Erica Jepsen (2006-09)              .266
6.     Katie O'Brien (2011-14)             .265
7.     Michelle Segun (Robertson)      .249
        (2004-07)
8.     Leigh-Ann Haataja (2011-14)    .242
9.     Christie Hamilton (2007-10)      .240
10.   Aubrey Mitchell (2010-13)        .233
 
SOLO BLOCKS – DI (1996-Pres.)     
Rk   Name                                         Total
1.     Michelle Segun (Robertson)      89
        (2004-07)                                   
2.     Hannah Long** (1996-98)         68
3.     Katie O'Brien (2011-14)             66
4.     Erica Jepsen (2006-09)              53
5.     Lisa Thomas (2001-04)              52
6.     Nicole Geils (1998-01)               51
7.     Jessica Frederick (Vanzant)       49
        (2003-06)                                   
8.     Katy Wilson (2015-Pres.)          45
9.     Stacy Ball (1999-02)                  39
        Lana Zielke (2008-10)                39
 
MULL(EN)ING OVER HISTORY
Senior outside hitter Jenna Mullen ranks tied for 10th all time in Division I career aces per set with an average of 0.25. Mullen ranks tied with Stephanie Lavigne, who averaged 0.25 aces per set from 2001-05. Jessica Brodie ranks a tenth better than anybody else in the Division I history of the program with a school-record average of 0.43 aces per set from 2003-06.
 
ACES / SET – DI (1996-Pres.)             
Minimum Two Seasons                    
Rk   Name                                               Avg
1.     Jessica Brodie (2003-06)                  0.43
2.     Shawna Sears (1998-99)                  0.33
        Melissa Osterloh (2004-05)             0.33
4.     Marija Vojnovic (2006-09)               0.32
5.     Kaeli Patton (2010-13)                     0.31
6.     Sarah Sirianni (2003-06)                  0.30
7.     Taryn Winters (1996-99)                 0.29
8.     Nique Fradella (2006-09)                0.27
9.     Richell Wilson (2000-03)                 0.26
10.   Stephanie Lavigne (2001-03, 05)     0.25
        Jenna Mullen (2015-Pres.)              0.25
 
SCHEDULING AGAINST THE BEST
The Vikings didn't hold back on their non-conference schedule this season, as they played four 2017 NCAA tournament teams out of five 2017 postseason teams overall. The Vikings played Oregon, Oregon State, Colorado and Colorado State during the non-conference season, all of which made the NCAA tournament last season. The Vikings also played Boise State, which made the National Invitational Volleyball Championship last season. Additionally, the Vikings played the Ducks when they were ranked 18th in the nation, and faced the Beavers, Buffaloes and Rams when they were receiving votes in the AVCA Top-25 Coaches Poll.
 
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Aug. 24: The Vikings beat Long Beach State, 3-0, to hand head coach Michael Seemann his 200th win at Portland State. Seemann became the third Viking volleyball coach to reach 200 wins in his or her career, joining Marlene Piper (445 wins) and Jeff Mozzochi (371 wins).
Aug. 25: Senior outside hitter Jenna Mullen recorded back-to-back double-doubles in the Vikings' matches against Boise State and Long Beach State. She had only recorded two double-doubles in her career before, but doubled that total in one day.
Sept. 7: The Vikings came within a few points of upsetting California out of the Pac-12 conference, as they lost 15-11 to the Bears in the fifth set. The Vikings recorded a season-high 12 blocks against the Bears, five more than they had in any other match to that point in the season. Sophomore Parker Webb set career highs in kills (15), digs (12) and attacks (45) in the match while finishing with her first-career double-double. Senior Katy Wilson was also a kill away from her first-career double-double as she had nine kills and a career-high 10 blocks in the match.
Sept. 15: Several Vikings set seasonal or career bests in the Vikings' 3-1 loss to Indiana State, including senior Jenna Mullen, who set career highs for kills (20) and digs (16) in the match. Besides Mullen, Katy Wilson tied a career high with 13 kills in the match, and did so while committing only one error on 22 total attacks. Junior Toni McDougald also recorded her first double-double of the season with 11 kills and 12 digs. Additionally, senior Hadley Heck and junior Mary Jo McBride set career highs for digs (22) and assists (24), respectively.