Complete Match Notes (PDF)

QUICK HITS
Twenty years after the premiere of Disney's Mulan, the Portland State volleyball team finds itself trying to match what the emperor said of Mulan that "the flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all." Now, there are no Li Shangs in the picture who need to hear that to go after Mulan, but the Vikings could keep that in mind as they continue to try to find a rhythm while playing a difficult non-conference schedule.
 
The Vikings, who are still trying to find their groove after losing 2017 All-Big Sky first-team selections Erin Clark, Tasha Bojanic and Caitlin Bettenay, have already played two different 2017 postseason teams, and are set to face a third this weekend in Oregon State. The Vikings' first loss of the season came against Boise State, which made the first round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship, while the Vikings lost to No. 18 Oregon Tuesday, after the Ducks made the second round of the NCAA tournament last season.
 
Meanwhile, the Vikings will face the Beavers, who made the first round of the NCAA tournament last season, Friday at 6 p.m. as part of the Rose City Showdown at the Vikings Pavilion. The Beavers will open the Rose City Showdown with a neutral-site match against UC Davis at 11 a.m. Friday.
 
The Beavers come into the tournament having received votes in the latest AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll after winning two out of three five-set matches at the Iowa State Challenge. The Beavers beat both Virginia and host Iowa State in five-set matches, handing the Cyclones their first loss of the season after they came into their home tournament ranked 21st in the nation.
 
UC Davis, meanwhile, opened its season with three straight sweeps before Northern Arizona snapped the Aggies' win streak with a 3-1 win in Davis, Calif., last Sunday. The Aggies hit .350 or better while sweeping Utah Valley, Holy Cross and Nevada in their first three matches, but hit .179 against the Lumberjacks.
 
The Vikings will face the Aggies at 12:30 p.m. Saturday to close out the Rose City Showdown.
 
Any amount of success this weekend would help build the Vikings' confidence as they continue to try to find their rhythm. But it wouldn't hurt if the Vikings also brought their lucky crickets.
 
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS (1-3)
11.14 k/s | 10.64 a/s | 14.07 d/s | 1.43 b/s
Notable: The Portland State Vikings have been the victims of their own difficult schedule of late, as two of their three losses have come against 2017 postseason teams. The Vikings' first loss of the season came against Boise State, which made the first round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship, while the Vikings lost to No. 18 Oregon Tuesday, after the Ducks made the second round of the NCAA tournament last season. The Vikings face a third postseason team Friday in the Beavers, who made the first round of the NCAA tournament in 2017. Senior outside hitter Jenna Mullen had her streak of two straight double-doubles snapped in the Vikings' match against the Ducks. Mullen had posted back-to-back double-doubles with 15 kills and 12 digs against Boise State in the afternoon of Aug. 25, followed by 14 kills and a career-high 13 digs against Long Beach State in the evening of the 25th. Mullen leads the Vikings in total kills (47) and kills per set (3.36), and ranks second to freshman libero Mackenzie Sullivan with 2.86 digs per set. Sullivan leads the Vikings with 3.71 digs per set, while junior outside hitter Toni McDougald ranks third on the team with 2.00 digs per set. Senior middle blocker Katy Wilson leads the Vikings with 11 total blocks and 0.79 blocks per set, and holds a team-best hitting percentage of .304. Sophomore Maddy Reeb, meanwhile, has locked down the setter position so far this season, and leads the team with 9.00 assists per set.
 
(RV) OREGON STATE BEAVERS (2-1)
12.90 k/s | 12.00 a/s | 14.90 d/s | 2.90 b/s
Notable: The Oregon State Beavers received 19 votes in the latest AVCA Top-25 Coaches Poll after beating then-No. 21 Iowa State in five sets at the Cyclones' home tournament last Saturday. The Beavers won the first two sets off the Cyclones, 27-25 and 25-19, but then had to rally to win the fifth set, 16-14, after dropping the third and fourth sets. The Beavers also played five-set matches against Virginia and Ole Miss at the tournament, beating the Cavaliers 17-15 in the fifth in their season opener Friday, before losing to Ole Miss in five sets Saturday. The Beavers rank second in the nation in total blocks with 43 after their three five-setters last weekend, and rank 26th in the nation with an average of 2.87 blocks per set. Two different Beavers rank in the top 15 of the Pac-12 in blocks per set, as Lindsey Schell and Maddy Gravley rank fifth and 15th in the conference with 1.40 and 1.08 blocks per set. Schell, a redshirt freshman, was high school teammates with Viking freshman Peyton McBride at Temecula Valley High School in Temecula, Calif. She ranks third on the Beavers team with 2.67 kills per set, behind sophomore Maddie Goings (3.47 k/s) and junior Amy Underdown (2.80 k/s). Underdown is also from Temecula, Calif., but unlike Schell and McBride, played for Great Oak High School instead of Temecula Valley. Underdown, Goings and freshman setter Maddie Sheehan all rank tied for second with 2.20 digs per set, behind sophomore libero Grace Massey, who averages 4.33 digs per set. The Beavers have employed three different setters so far this season in Sheehan (6.10 a/s), sophomore Allison Hughes (6.78 a/s) and junior Montanna Gubrud (5.88 a/s).
 
UC DAVIS AGGIES (3-1)
15.60 k/s | 14.80 a/s | 20.50 d/s | 1.50 b/s
Notable: The UC Davis Aggies opened their season with three straight 3-0 sweeps before losing 3-1 Sunday at home against Northern Arizona out of the Big Sky. The Aggies had swept Utah Valley, Holy Cross and Nevada before their loss to the Lumberjacks. The Aggies and Lumberjacks split the first two sets of their match before the Lumberjacks won the third and fourth sets both by 25-20 scores. The Aggies dominated their first three matches of the season, as they hit .350 or better in all three matches, and held all three of their opponents to .175 or less. The Aggies rank in the top 10 nationally in kills, assist and digs per set as a result, while senior libero Malia Bolko ranks sixth nationally with 6.62 digs per set. Bolko ranks second all-time at UC Davis in career digs, and set the single-season school record for total digs while earning All-Big West honorable mention. Senior outside hitter Emily Allen also ranks in the top 10 nationally in total kills with 61, and ranks 23rd nationally with an average of 4.69 kills per set. Allen entered the year needing 365 kills and 297 digs to become just the fourth player in UC Davis history to join the 1,000 kills, 1,000 points club along with Candy Lench (1989-92), Jill Changaris (1993-96) and Kelly Gaudino (2000-03).
 
OREGON STATE SERIES HISTORY
The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Beavers, 32-10. The Beavers have owned the series of late, however, as they've won six straight against the Vikings, and 10 out of their last 12. The teams haven't played each other since 2010, when the Vikings came back from two sets down to level the match on their home court before the Beavers won it in the fifth set, 15-13.
 
VIKINGS VERSUS THE PAC-12
The Vikings played their first match against a Pac-12 opponent Tuesday, when they lost 3-0 to Oregon. The Vikings will play their second Pac-12 team in the Beavers Friday, and will host Cal at the Viking Pavilion on Sept. 7 before facing Colorado on the Buffs' home court on Sept. 14. The Vikings' loss to the Ducks Tuesday snapped a three-match winning streak against Pac-12 teams, as the Vikings had beaten Colorado (3-2 on Aug. 27, 2016) and Arizona State twice (3-1 on Sept. 16, 2016 and 3-1 on Sept. 2, 2017) in their last three matches against Pac-12 teams. The Vikings' win over Colorado in 2016 was their first over a Pac-12 opponent since the Vikings beat Utah in 2012. Before that, the Vikings' only win over a Pac-12 team since turning Division I in 1996 came in 2005, when the Vikings beat Oregon, 3-1. The Vikings are 5-37 all-time against Pac-12 opponents since 1996, but are 96-79-1 all-time when all records are taken into account.
 
UC DAVIS SERIES HISTORY
The Vikings are 13-1 all-time against the Aggies, with their only loss coming in 2016, when UC Davis beat the Vikings 3-0 in a neutral-site match in Boise, Idaho. The Vikings beat the Aggies in their last match against each other, which came last season, when the Vikings won 3-1 at the Aggies' home tournament. The Vikings haven't played a home match against the Aggies since 1993.
 
LIVE STATS
Live stats will be available from all matches of the Rose City Showdown this weekend, including Friday's neutral-site match between UC Davis and Oregon State. Fans can find the links to live stats at ViksLive.com, or on the volleyball schedule page at GoViks.com.
 
LIVE VIDEO
A live video stream will be available from all matches of the Rose City Showdown this weekend. The neutral-site match Friday between UC Davis and Oregon State will be available at WatchBigSky.com. Both of the Vikings' matches, meanwhile, will be streamed at Pluto.TV for free. Teri Mariani will serve as the play-by-play announcer for both of the Vikings' matches.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Vikings ran up against a difficult opponent in the 18th-ranked Oregon Ducks Tuesday, as the Ducks beat them 3-0 at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene. The Vikings got progressively better throughout the match, but so did the Ducks as both teams improved their hitting percentage in every set. The Vikings improved from .086 in the first set to .200 in the second set and .318 in the third. The Ducks matched the improvement, however, hitting .317 in the first, .484 in the second and then .533 in the third. The Vikings only made six attack errors in the match, and only two of those came after the first set. The Ducks dug the Vikings well, though, as only 22 of the Vikings' 87 attacks went down for kills. Sophomore outside hitter Parker Webb led the Vikings with seven kills in the match, and did not commit an error on 18 total attacks. Senior Katy Wilson also didn't commit an error while finishing with four kills on 11 attacks, while fellow senior Jenna Mullen finished with five kills and six digs.
 
UPCOMING
The Vikings remain home for the last of three fall tournaments, as Fresno State, California and Gonzaga come to the Viking Pavilion for the Les Schwab West Coast Challenge, Sept. 7-8. The Vikings will host four matches on Sept. 7, and two more on Sept. 8. Matches will start at 10 a.m. on both days.
 
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.
 
SCHEDULING AGAINST THE BEST
The Vikings scheduled a difficult non-conference slate for themselves this season with four 2017 NCAA tournament teams among five postseason teams overall. The Vikings already played two postseason teams in Boise State and Oregon, which made the first round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship and the second round of the NCAA Championships, respectively. The Vikings will play another NCAA tournament team this Friday in the Beavers, who made the first round of the NCAA tournament last season. The Vikings will also play Colorado and Colorado State on Sept. 14 and Sept. 15, respectively, after the Buffs and Rams made the NCAA Sweet 16 and second round last season. The Vikings will also play a fourth Pac-12 team this season in Cal at home on Sept. 7, though the Golden Bears did not make the postseason in 2017.
 
WHO/WHAT IS HOT
• The Vikings committed only six errors in their match against the Ducks Tuesday.
• Senior Jenna Mullen had back-to-back double-doubles in the Vikings' matches against Boise State and Long Beach State on Aug. 25.
• Freshman Peyton McBride recorded a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs in the Vikings' match against Long Beach State on Aug. 25, making her the first freshman outside hitter to record a double-double since Caitlin Bettenay had 10 kills and 13 digs against Sacramento State on Nov. 5, 2016.
AND NOT
• The Vikings have lost three straight matches for the first time since losing four matches in a row from Oct. 1-13, 2016.
• The Vikings' opponents have outhit them in three straight matches.
• The Vikings' last opponent, then-No. 18 Oregon, hit .431 against the Vikings, the highest hitting percentage by a Viking opponent since then-No. 4 Washington hit .448 against the Vikings on Aug. 29, 2014.
 
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 last Friday. 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.
 

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 ON CAREER RECORD WATCH
Senior middle blocker Katy Wilson has the chance to end her career with the top Division I hitting percentage in program history if things go well during her senior season. Wilson's current career hitting percentage of .323 ranks 21 points higher than the current Division I career record for hitting percentage, which Lana Zielke set at .302 from 2008-10. Wilson's .323 career hitting percentage would also ranks third 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. Wilson also ranks eighth all time in Division I career solo blocks with 40 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.     Katy Wilson (2015-Pres.)          .323
4.     Wendy Coleman (1990-91)       .320
5.     Leanne Peters (1990-93)           .319
6.     Theresa Huitinga (1982-85)       .305
7.     Robin Unger (1992-93)              .305
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.)          .323
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)                                  
8.     Katy Wilson (2015-Pres.)          40
9.     Stacy Ball (1999-02)                  39
        Lana Zielke (2008-10)                39
 
MULL(EN)ING OVER HISTORY
Senior outside hitter Jenna Mullen ranks tied for eighth all-time in Division I career aces per set with an average of 0.27. Mullen ranks tied with Nique Fradella, who averaged 0.27 aces per set from 2006-09. 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
        Jenna Mullen (2015-Pres.)        0.27
10.   Richell Wilson (2000-03)           0.26
 
A FRESHMAN LIBERO
Freshman Mackenzie Sullivan has started the Vikings' first four matches of the season, and has led the team in digs after each match. The Vikings have had good luck with freshman defensive specialists of late as the last two to start as freshmen – Kasimira Clark and Tasha Bojanic –ended up being named Big Sky Libero of the Year at some point in their careers. Sullivan could join them, after she was a three-time first-team all-league selection at El Dorado High School in Placentia, Calif. Sullivan set the school record for most varsity sport letters at El Dorado High School while lettering in volleyball (4x), track (4x), soccer (2x), water polo (1x) and basketball (1x).
 
SETTLING ON A SETTER
Sophomore Maddy Reeb has the difficult task of replacing All-Big Sky first-team setter Erin Clark from last season's team. Reeb has started the Vikings' first four matches of the season, and sports a 9.0 assists per set average so far. Reeb also had a standout exhibition match against Central Washington on Aug. 20, when she had 37 assists and 21 digs in the match. No Viking setter had ever finished with more than 30 assists and 20 digs in a match since former Big Sky MVP Garyn Schlatter had 41 assists and 25 digs in a five-set match against Northern Colorado on Nov. 10, 2012.