FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The Portland State volleyball got better and better as the match progressed Saturday, but Northern Arizona closed out a 3-0 win over Vikings at the Joseph C. Rolle Activity Center.
 
The Vikings (9-16, 5-9 Big Sky) lost the first set, 25-15, to the Lumberjacks (16-10, 9-5 Big Sky), but then followed with more competitive second and third sets. The Vikings made a big comeback to get back in the third set, as they trailed 16-9 at one point but then won six of the next seven points to get within two at 17-15.
 
NAU went back up by four at 21-17, but the Vikings responded with five of the next seven points to get within one at 23-22. The Lumberjacks answered every PSU point from there, however, and closed out the match on a kill that gave them a 25-23 win in the third set.
 
"We are learning about our opponent as matches progress but it's not happening soon enough," PSU head coach Michael Seemann said after the match. "Everyone had bright spots tonight as individuals, but we weren't all together, competing as a team."
 
Freshman libero Ellie Snook led the Vikings' continued improvement in the match. After recording five digs in the first set, Snook had 10 digs in the second set, and 11 more in the third set. Snook finished the match with 26 digs, giving her the most digs by a Viking in a three-set match since Kasimira Clark had 34 against North Dakota on Nov. 8, 2012.
 
"We funneled as much as we could to Ellie with our block, and she played well tonight," Seemann said of Snook.
 
Clark's 34 digs against UND came during her record-breaking 2012 season, when she set the single-season school records for total digs (635) and digs per set (5.38). Snook remains on track to break Clark's digs per set record, as her performance at NAU raised her average to 5.52 with four matches remaining in the regular season.
 
Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Parker Webb was another player to improve her play throughout the match, after she only had one kill in the first set. Webb followed with four kills in the second set, and ended up leading the Vikings with eight kills on the night. Webb and junior Maddy Reeb traded off playing on the right side for the Vikings, with Reeb finishing with seven kills of her own. 
 
Senior Toni McDougald and freshman Jasmine Powell played all six rotations for the Vikings, and finished with similar stat lines. McDougald finished with seven kills and eight digs while Powell had six kills and six digs.
 
The Vikings also traded off between senior Mary Jo McBride and freshman Caroline Dragani at setter. McBride started the match for the Vikings, finishing with 14 assists and six digs while Dragani finished with 11 assists and five digs.
 
The Vikings now head home where they'll play three of their final four matches of the regular season. All three remaining home matches come in a five-day stretch that starts this coming Thursday, when the Vikings host Idaho State at Viking Pavilion. First serve between the Vikings and Bengals is set for 7 p.m. (PT).
 
Match Notes: The Vikings fell to 21-29 all time against NAU with Saturday's loss…The Lumberjacks lead the Big Sky series between them and the Vikings, 28-20…The Vikings haven't beaten the Lumberjacks in Flagstaff since Nov. 5, 2011.