Complete Match Notes (PDF)

FIRST SERVE
With Halloween fast approaching, the Portland State volleyball team put on its best Jekyll and Hyde costume last weekend, as they swept Montana while playing their best match of the season Thursday, but then got swept by Montana State Saturday.
 
The Vikings looked like a team that had turned a corner when they swept the Grizzlies, especially considering the match-to-match comparison with the Vikings' earlier match against Montana this season. Twenty-six days after the Grizzlies swept the Vikings while outhitting PSU .294-to.170 in Missoula, the Vikings swept the Grizzlies while outhitting them .279-to-.198.
 
The .279 hitting percentage was a seasonal best for the Vikings by close to 30 percentage points, and the Vikings also set seasonal bests for a three-set match in kills (43), assists (39) and blocks (11.0). Additionally, the Vikings out-blocked the Grizzlies 11-0 in the match, the first time the Vikings had held an opponent without a block in a match since 2016.
 
What's more, the Vikings' sweep of the Grizzlies came after two five-set losses last weekend to two of the best teams in the Big Sky in Weber State and Idaho State. Thursday's sweep then appeared to be the latest in a run of strong play for the Vikings, but that run ended with the Vikings' 3-0 loss to Montana State Saturday. The Vikings hit just .127 against the Bobcats, and just .085 after the first set – a far cry from the Vikings' seasonal-best performance against the Grizzlies.
 
The Vikings can be forgiven for backsliding against the Bobcats, however, if they can return to their form against the Grizzlies when they hit the road for matches against Southern Utah and Northern Arizona this weekend.
 
The Vikings and Thunderbirds have identical records this season at 3-19 overall and 2-8 in Big Sky play, and played a close match when they faced each other in Portland on Sept. 29. The Vikings won the first set and actually outhit the Thunderbirds, .181-to-.165, in the match, but the Thunderbirds won the final three sets to take the match, 3-1.
 
Southern Utah's Janet Kalaniuvalu led all players with 22 kills in the teams' earlier match against each other, and added 18 digs. Kalaniuvalu has been a dominant player within the Big Sky this season, as she leads the conference with 4.75 kills per set in Big Sky play. Kalaniuvalu also ranks eighth in the nation with 12.98 attacks per set as one of the most set players in the conference and nation.
 
The Thunderbirds broke through with their own big win last weekend, as they upset Idaho State, 3-2, last Thursday. Like the Vikings, however, the Thunderbirds followed up their big win with a loss, as they lost 3-0 to Weber State on Saturday.
 
The Lumberjacks, meanwhile, have been one of the hottest teams in the Big Sky of late, as they've won five of their last six matches. The Lumberjacks' only loss during that time was a 3-2 loss on the road to Northern Colorado on Oct. 13. The Lumberjacks bounced back with a pair of road wins over Weber State and Idaho State last weekend, however, beating both teams 3-0 and 3-1, respectively.
 
The Lumberjacks swept the Vikings in Portland on Sept. 27 earlier this season, hitting .361 with 45 kills against only six errors in the process. The Lumberjacks distributed the offense well, too, as no player finished with more than 10 kills but four players finished with eight or more kills.
 
The Vikings mirrored that distribution against the Grizzlies, as four players finished with seven or more kills while no player had more than 10 kills last Thursday. Additionally, four players had seven or more digs while no player had more than 11, and another four players finished with at least three blocks.
 
The Vikings will hope to stay in that Dr. Jekyll-Montana form throughout this weekend, starting with their Thursday night match against the Thunderbirds that starts at 6:30 p.m. (MT) in Cedar City, Utah.
 
STORYLINES
Who/What is Hot:
• The Vikings turned the tables on Montana last Thursday, sweeping the Grizzlies, 3-0, 26 days after the Grizzlies swept the Vikings in Missoula. The Vikings hit a seasonal-best .279 in the match, while holding the Grizzlies to just .198 – a far cry from the teams' earlier match against each other, when the Grizzlies outhit the Vikings .294-to-.170.
• The Vikings set seasonal bests for a three-set match in kills (43), assists (39) and blocks (11.0) against the Grizzlies. The Vikings out-blocked the Grizzlies 11-0 in the match, the first time the Vikings had held an opponent without a block since 2016.
• The Vikings spread the wealth individually against the Grizzlies, as four players record seven or more kills while no player recorded more than 10 kills. Four Vikings also finished with seven or more digs while no player had more than 11, and another four Vikings finished with three or more blocks.
• Freshman Peyton McBride finished with her third double-double of the season and second in a stretch of three matches with 10 kills and 10 digs in the Vikings' match against the Grizzlies. McBride was also a kill away from a double-double against Idaho State on Oct. 13, otherwise she would have had three straight double-doubles between the Vikings' matches against Weber State, Idaho State and Montana.
And Not:
• The Vikings followed up their 3-0 win over Montana Thursday with a 3-0 loss to Montana State on Saturday. The Vikings hit just .127 against the Bobcats, and just .085 after the first set.
• Regular starters Jenna Mullen, Parker Webb and Peyton McBride have all missed at least two Big Sky matches this season due to injury or illness, and have yet to play together in any conference match.
• The Vikings have played with 10 players or less in seven of their 10 Big Sky matches so far this season.
• The Vikings have been outhit in all but four matches this season.
• The Vikings have hit over .200 in only five of their 20 matches this season. Meanwhile, the Vikings' opponents have hit over .200 in 17 of 22 matches this season, and have hit over .300 in six matches.
 
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (3-19, 2-8 Big Sky)
10.85 k/s | 10.12 a/s | 14.82 d/s | 1.85 b/s
Notable: The Portland State Vikings balanced the good and the bad last weekend, sweeping Montana, 3-0, on Thursday to avenge an earlier loss to the Grizzlies, but then got swept by Montana State on Saturday. The Vikings' win over the Grizzlies marked a dramatic turnaround from their earlier match in the season, as they hit a seasonal-best .279 in the match while holding the Grizzlies to just .198. That's a far cry from the Vikings' earlier match against the Grizzlies, when the Grizzlies outhit the Vikings .294-to-.170 a month ago in Missoula. The Vikings also set seasonal bests for a three-set match in kills (43), assists (39) and blocks (11.0), and held the Grizzlies without a block in the match – the first time they had done that to an opponent since 2016. What's more, the Vikings spread the wealth individually, as four players finished with seven or more kills while no player had more than 10 kills in the match. The Vikings also had four players with seven or more digs in the match, as well as another four with at least three blocks. Freshman outside hitter Peyton McBride recorded her third double-double of the season and second in the past three matches with 10 kills and 10 digs in the match, while junior outside hitter Toni McDougald tied McBride for the team lead with 10 kills. Sophomore setter Maddy Reeb also stuffed the stat sheet yet again for the Vikings with 34 assists, seven digs, six blocks (one solo, five assists), three kills and one service ace.
 
SOUTHERN UTAH THUNDERBIRDS (3-19, 2-8 Big Sky)
11.19 k/s | 10.46 a/s | 14.29 d/s | 1.83 b/s
Notable: The Southern Utah Thunderbirds pulled off the upset of the Big Sky season last Thursday, beating Idaho State in five sets on the Bengals' home court. The Bengals had swept the Thunderbirds in three sets in Cedar City earlier in the season, but avenged that loss last week, holding the Bengals to just .091 hitting in the fifth set. The Thunderbirds' other Big Sky win this season came over the Vikings, who they beat 3-1 in Portland on Sept. 29. The Vikings won the first set of that match, and actually outhit the Thunderbirds .181-to-.165, but the Thunderbirds won the final three sets to pull out the victory. Southern Utah's Janet Kalaniuvalu led all players with 22 kills in the earlier match between the Vikings and Thunderbirds, and added 18 digs on top of it. For the season, Kalaniuvalu has been one of the best players in the Big Sky as she leads the conference with 4.75 kills per set in conference matches. Kalaniuvalu also ranks 49th in the nation with 4.01 kills per set in all matches this season, and also ranks eighth in the nation with 12.98 attacks per set. Kalaniuvalu had 25 kills in the Thunderbirds' win over Idaho State last Tuesday, and has gone over 20 kills in four of the team's 10 Big sky matches so far this season. Besides Kalaniuvalu, freshman libero Miahna Waters has been one of the best defensive players in the conference, as she ranks fifth in the Big Sky with 4.82 digs per set in conference matches. As a team, the Thunderbirds ranks sixth in the Big Sky in hitting percentage (.212) and blocks per set (2.10) in conference matches, and seventh in assists per set (12.15) and kills per set (12.75).
 
SOUTHERN UTAH SERIES HISTORY
The Vikings lead the all-time and Big Sky series between them and the Thunderbirds, 10-3. The Thunderbirds won their third match in the series earlier this season, when they beat the Vikings 3-1 in Portland on Sept. 29. The Vikings have a good record against the Thunderbirds on the road, as they are 5-1 all time against the Thunderbirds in Cedar City.
 
NORTHERN ARIZONA LUMBERJACKS (15-8, 7-3 Big Sky)
12.78 k/s | 12.10 a/s | 17.76 d/s | 2.28 b/s
Notable: The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks have won five of their last six matches, with their only loss coming, 3-2, on the road against Northern Colorado on Oct. 13. The Lumberjacks bounced back with road wins over Weber State and Idaho State last weekend, however, with the Lumberjacks' win over Idaho State serving as payback for a 3-2 home loss to the Bengals in both teams' Big Sky opener on Sept. 20. The Lumberjacks swept the Vikings, 3-0, in Portland on Sept. 27, in a match in which the Lumberjacks hit .361 with 45 kills against only six errors. No individual finished with more than 10 kills in the match for the Lumberjacks, but four players finished with eight or more kills between Abby Akin (9), Kaylie Jorgenson (9), Ryann Davis (8) and Heaven Harris (8). Akin comes into the week as the reigning Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week, and ranks second in the Big Sky in hitting percentage (.392) and sixth in blocks per set (1.12). Additionally, Akin is hitting .465 in Big Sky play, just three percentage points off the conference lead. Jorgenson, meanwhile, ranks 10th in the Big Sky with 3.05 kills per set in Big Sky play, and also ranks second with 0.46 service aces per set. As a team, the Lumberjacks rank second in the Big Sky in hitting percentage (.254), opponent hitting percentage (.166) and digs per set (17.87) in conference matches, and also rank in the top five of the conference in the other statistical categories – assists per set (T-3rd, 12.69), kills per set (4th, 13.33), blocks per set (5th, 2.31) and service aces per set (4th, 1.59).
 
NORTHERN ARIZONA SERIES HISTORY
The Lumberjacks lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 27-20, and also lead the Big Sky series between the two teams, 26-19. The Lumberjacks have won 10 of their last 11 against the Vikings, including a 3-0 win earlier this season in Portland. The Lumberjacks lead the Vikings 15-7 in matches played in Flagstaff, where the Vikings haven't won since 2011.
 
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 at WatchBigSky.com. Fans can find the links to live stats on the volleyball schedule page at GoViks.com.
 
LAST WEEK
The Vikings split their weekend against Montana and Montana State last week, sweeping the Grizzlies on Thursday before being swept by the Bobcats on Saturday. The Vikings' 3-0 win over the Grizzlies was a dramatic turnaround for the Vikings from their first match of the season against Montana, which the Grizzlies won 3-0 in Missoula on Sept. 22. The Vikings outhit the Grizzlies .279-to-.198 in the match Thursday, a far cry from the teams' earlier match when the Grizzlies outhit the Vikings .294-to-.170. The Vikings' .279 hitting percentage marked an overall seasonal best for the Vikings by nearly 30 percentage points, and the Vikings also set seasonal bests for three-set matches in kills (43), assists (39) and blocks (11.0). The Vikings out-blocked the Grizzlies 11-0 in the match, the only time the Vikings have held an opponent without a block this season. The Vikings spread the wealth individually, too, as four players recorded seven or more kills while no player had more than 10 kills. Additionally, four Vikings finished with seven or more digs, while four more Vikings finished with three or more blocks. Peyton McBride and Toni McDougald led the Vikings with 10 kills each, while McBride added 10 digs to record her second double-double in the Vikings' past three matches.
 
UPCOMING
The Vikings return home for a pair of matches against Idaho and Eastern Washington next weekend. The Vikings host the Vandals at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, and host the Eagles at 2 p.m. Saturday.
 
VERSATILITY, THY NAME IS MADDY REEB
Sophomore setter Maddy Reeb has recorded four double-doubles in the team's 10 Big Sky matches this season, and has stuffed the stat sheet in the majority of the team's conference matches. In addition to her four double-doubles, Reeb also has three matches with at least 20+ assists, 5+ digs, 5+ kills and 5+ blocks in a match. Reeb had another stat-stuffing match in the team's 3-0 win over Montana last Thursday, as she posted 34 assists, seven digs, six blocks (one solo, five assists), three kills and one service ace.
 
FRESHMAN SENSATION
Freshman Peyton McBride recorded her third double-double of the season and second in a stretch of three matches with 10 kills and 10 digs last Thursday against Montana. McBride was also a kill away from a double-double against Idaho State on Oct. 13, otherwise she would have three straight double-doubles in the Vikings' matches against Weber State (Oct. 11), Idaho State (Oct. 13) and Montana (Oct. 18). McBride became the first Viking to finish with at least 20 kills and 20 digs in a match since 2012, when she had 20 kills and 23 digs against Weber State on Oct. 11. The last Viking to post a 20-20 match before McBride was Jaklyn Wheeler, who had 21 kills and 20 digs against Gonzaga on Aug. 24, 2012. The last time a Viking freshman posted a 20-20 match remains unknown, but McBride at least became the first freshman to go over 15 kills and 15 digs in a match since Cheyne Corrado had 17 kills and 18 digs against Northern Arizona on Sept. 30, 2011.
 
TONI'S GR-R-REAT!
Junior outside hitter Toni McDougald tied freshman Peyton McBride for the team lead with 10 kills against Montana last Thursday, and had her best weekend of the regular season against Weber State and Idaho State the weekend before. McDougald set a career high with 19 kills against the Wildcats, and did so while only committing three attack errors. McDougald was similarly efficient against Idaho State last Saturday, as she had 17 kills against only five errors.
 
KATY WILSON CAREER RECORD WATCH
Senior middle blocker Katy Wilson has been flirting with the Division I career record for hitting percentage all season. Wilson heads into the weekend with a .303 career mark, one point ahead of the current career record that Lana Zielke set at .302 from 2008-10. Wilson's career average would also rank her seventh 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 tied for seventh all time in solo blocks (49), and eighth all time in block assists (253) and total blocks (302) in the Division I history of the program.
 
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
        Robin Unger (1992-93)              .305
7.     Katy Wilson (2015-Pres.)          .303     
8.     Lana Zielke (2008-10)                .302
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.     Katy Wilson (2015-Pres.)          .303
2.     Lana Zielke (2008-10)                .302
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)                                  
        Katy Wilson (2015-Pres.)          49
9.     Stacy Ball (1999-02)                  39
        Lana Zielke (2008-10)                39
 
BLOCK ASSISTS – DI (1996-Pres.)
Rk   Name                                         Total
1.     Leigh-Ann Haataja (2011-14)    423
2.     Michelle Segun (Robertson)      400
        (2004-06)                                  
3.     Katie O'Brien (2011-14)             397
4.     Erica Jepsen (2006-09)              348
5.     Garyn Schlatter (2010-13)         329
6.     Christie Hamilton (2007-10)      305
7.     Hannah Long** (1996-98)         299
8.     Katy Wilson (2015-Pres.)          253
9.     Stacy Ball (1999-02)                  248
10.   Nicole Geils (1998-01)               238
 
TOTAL BLOCKS – DI (1996-Pres.
Rk   Name                                         Total
1.     Michelle Segun (Robertson)      489
        (2004-07)                                  
2.     Katie O'Brien (2011-14)             463
3.     Leigh-Ann Haataja (2011-14)    458
4.     Erica Jepsen (2006-09)              401
5.     Garyn Schlatter (2010-13)         351
6.     Hannah Long** (1996-98)         332
7.     Christie Hamilton (2007-10)      324
8.     Katy Wilson (2015-Pres.)          302
9.     Nicole Geils (1998-01)               289
10.   Stacy Ball (1999-02)                  287
 
MULL(EN)ING OVER DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Senior outside hitter Jenna Mullen recorded her fourth double-double of the season in the Vikings' 3-2 win over Eastern Washington on Oct. 4. Mullen recorded the double-double with 15 kills and 11 digs in the match, which was her first match back since suffering a concussion against Montana State on Sept. 20. Mullen also had a double-double against Indiana State on Sept. 15, when she set then-career highs for kills (20) and digs (16). Additionally, Mullen had two double-doubles on the same day at the Viking Summer Spike tournament on Aug. 25. Mullen started the day with 15 kills and 12 digs against Boise State, and then followed it up with 14 kills and 13 digs against Long Beach State. Mullen also ranks tied for ninth all time with 0.26 aces per set.
 
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
        Jenna Mullen (2015-Pres.)        0.26
 
INJURY BUG
The Vikings have played with 10 players or fewer for seven of their 10 Big Sky matches so far the season, and only upped their numbers to 11 for the other three matches. Senior outside hitter and regular starter Jenna Mullen has been one of three regular starters to miss time for the Vikings, along with Peyton McBride and Parker Webb. Those injuries, coupled with the season-ending injuries to Brooke Imirie and Sarah Brennan, have left the Vikings thin on the outside at times as only Toni McDougald has stayed healthy throughout the year among the team's outside hitters. The Vikings have gotten creative with their lineup as a result, as Katy Wilson, Whitney Turner and Maddy Reeb have all filled time on the outside while stepping out of their regular positions.
 
BIG SKY LEADERS
• Sophomore setter Maddy Reeb ranks ninth in the Big Sky with 6.97 assists per set in Big Sky matches. Reeb also ranks tied for ninth with 1.00 blocks per set in conference matches.
• Senior libero Hadley Heck ranks 10th in the Big Sky with 4.06 digs per set in conference matches.
• The Vikings rank fifth in the Big Sky with 16.26 digs per set in conference matches, as well as seventh in opponent hitting percentage (.226) and blocks per set (2.08).
 
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 237 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       202            Volleyball                    2007-Present
 
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.
Oct. 4: The Vikings snapped a 15-match losing streak with a 3-2 road win over Eastern Washington, and came back from a 2-1 deficit to do so. The Vikings hadn't come back to win a match after trailing 2-1 since Oct. 20, 2016, which also came against the Eagles, coincidentally. The Vikings hit .230 in the match, their best hitting percentage since their season-opening win over Long Beach State on Aug. 24. Individually, Katy Wilson led the Vikings with a career-high 17 kills in the match while hitting .429 with only two errors on 35 total attacks.
Oct. 11: Freshman Peyton McBride became the first Viking to finish with at least 20 kills and 20 digs in a match since 2012, when she had 20 kills and 23 digs against Weber State. The last Viking to post a 20-20 match before McBride was Jaklyn Wheeler, who had 21 kills and 20 digs against Gonzaga on Aug. 24, 2012. The last time a Viking freshman posted a 20-20 match remains unknown, but McBride at least became the first freshman to go over 15 kills and 15 digs in a match since Cheyne Corrado had 17 kills and 18 digs against Northern Arizona on Sept. 30, 2011.
Oct. 18: The Vikings swept Montana at the Viking Pavilion, giving them their first 3-0 win since their season-opening sweep of Long Beach State on Aug. 24. It was a dramatic turnaround from the Vikings' first match of the season against the Grizzlies, when the Grizzlies swept the Vikings 3-0 in Missoula on Sept. 22. The Vikings out-blocked the Grizzlies, 11-0, in the match – the first time the Vikings had held an opponent without a block this season. The Vikings also had four players record seven kills or more in the match while no player had more than 10. Additionally, four different Vikings had seven or more digs, while another four recorded at least three blocks. The Vikings set an overall season high with a .279 hitting percentage in the match, as well as season highs for three-set matches in kills (43), assists (39) and blocks (11.0).