POCATELLO, Idaho — The Portland State volleyball team was on the edge of history Saturday night at Reed Gym. Down 0-2, the Vikings nearly stormed all the way back to win, but a late Idaho State rally gave the Bengals a 3-2 win (25-22, 25-19, 17-25, 13-25, 16-14).
 
The Vikings (7-10, 3-3 Big Sky) were only three points from completing the comeback when they were up 12-8 in the fifth set. The Vikings appeared to go up 13-10 a few points later, but a big reversal on a challenge instead brought the Bengals (4-14, 3-3 Big Sky) back within one at 12-11. The Vikings won the next point to go up 13-11, but the Bengals claimed five of the last six points to close out the match 16-14 in the fifth.
 
Saturday's match could have been the Vikings' first 0-2 comeback against a Big Sky opponent since beating Montana 3-2 in the Big Sky tournament on Nov. 26, 2010. The last 0-2 comeback against a Big Sky opponent during the regular season came on Nov. 6, 2010, against Eastern Washington.
 
"I am proud of the way we dug ourselves out of being two sets down," PSU head coach Michael Seemann said afterwards. "I feel as though, even after an 0-2 road trip, we are developing as a team. We received positive contributions from everyone, all 12, and that will prove to be beneficial for us in the future."
 
All 12 Viking players got on the floor by the start of the second set, while a few players saw their most extensive action in quite a while.
 
No player took greater advantage of the extra playing time than senior setter Mary Jo McBride, who came off the bench in the first two sets before playing full time from the third set on. McBride set career highs for assists and digs in the match while recording her second-career double-double with 43 assists and 15 digs.
 
McBride helped turn things around for the Vikings in the third and fourth sets. The Vikings committed only eight total attack errors in those sets, after they had 14 combined in the first two sets of the match.
 
Junior Maddy Reeb and freshman Kylie Komo also saw their most extensive action of the season against the Bengals. Reeb finished with season highs for kills and digs with seven in each category, while Komo set a new career high with five digs in the match.
 
"MJ, Kylie and Maddy have been working hard and executing in practice. They earned the opportunity to come out and contribute, and they delivered tonight. I'm proud of this group," Seemann said.
 
Besides those players, freshman libero Ellie Snook also picked up her play after recording only five total digs in the first two sets of the match. Snook recorded 26 digs over the last three sets, giving her the third 30-dig performance in the Vikings' past four matches. Snook's 31 digs Saturday upped her digs per set average to 5.43, which was the highest average in the nation by a freshman entering the weekend.
 
Senior outside hitter Toni McDougald recorded her first-career 20-20 match, finishing with 20 kills and a career-high 20 digs. McDougald has now recorded two 20-kill performances in the Vikings' past three matches, and has set a new career high for digs in two of the last four.
 
Redshirt sophomore Parker Webb finished with her fifth double-double of the season with 14 kills and 12 digs. Redshirt sophomore Jordan White also finished with eight kills while leading the Vikings with four blocks in the match.
 
The Vikings let a couple of early lapses hurt them in the first and second sets Saturday. The Vikings came back from an early deficit in the first set to take an 18-16 lead, but Idaho State answered with a 6-0 run to take back control. Additionally, a 7-0 ISU run broke open a close second set, giving the Bengals a 19-12 lead the Vikings could not overcome.
 
All that changed in the third and fourth sets, however. McBride helped pick up the Viking offense, while Snook and the Viking defense also stepped up their game against the Bengal attack. The Vikings forced the Bengals into nine attack errors in the third set, the same total the Bengals had in the first two sets combined. That trend continued in the fourth set, when the Vikings outhit the Bengals .275-to-.051 while limiting the Bengals to only eight kills in the set.
 
Bad lapses also shifted to the Bengals' side of the net, as the Vikings put together long runs in the third and fourth sets. The Vikings opened the third set with an 8-1 run, while a 13-1 run in the middle of the fourth set gave the Vikings a commanding 19-8 lead.
 
Neither team established much of an advantage at the start of the fifth set until a 6-1 PSU run gave the Vikings a 12-8 lead. Idaho State won the next three points to get back within one, however, the last of which came on the critical replay call where a PSU player was called for a touch at the net. McDougald recorded a kill to give the Vikings a 13-11 lead on the next play, but the Bengals won five of the next six points and converted on their second match point to close out the win.
 
The Vikings have a quick turnaround for their next match, as they face Sacramento State on the road Tuesday. First serve between the Vikings and Hornets will be at 7 p.m. (PT).
 
Match Notes: The Vikings fell to 34-25 all time against Idaho State after Saturday…Idaho State took a 23-22 lead in the Big Sky series between them and the Vikings after Saturday…The Vikings had won their last three Saturday matches before losing to the Bengals…The Vikings' last 0-2 comeback in all matches – Big Sky and non-conference opponents included – came on Sept. 8, 2016 against Utah State.