NOTE: All stats mentioned are UNOFFICIAL due to today's match being an exhibition.
 
PORTLAND, Ore. — The new-look Portland State Vikings volleyball team got its first taste of match action Friday, as all 12 players – including all seven freshmen out of eight newcomers – saw action in a 4-1 (23-25, 27-25, 25-21, 25-22, 15-10) exhibition loss to Corban at Viking Pavilion.
 
Portland State head coach Michael Seemann went into the match wanting to work out rotations and player roles, and played with his lineup throughout the match in order to accomplish that. All 12 players on the Vikings' roster played at least three of the five sets in the match, while the Vikings didn't repeat a starting lineup at any point in the match.
 
"One way of looking at [this match] is as an accelerated practice. I wanted to see everyone get in there and play," Seemann said of his game plan for the exhibition. "With eight newcomers, we wanted to give everyone an opportunity to compete and have the anxiousness and the nerves and all of that that comes from a match, and go out there and perform. Because of that, we knew that there was going to be a lot of disorganization and that's what we saw today. I think you got one out of three moments that were a window of what I think we can be."
 
Corban served as the perfect foil for the Vikings in that regard, as the Warriors came in with much more experience than the Vikings, having advanced to at least the Sweet 16 stage of the NAIA national tournament each of the past three seasons, including a quarterfinal finish in 2017. Additionally, the Warriors opened at No. 19 in the NAIA Preseason Coaches' Poll, released Thursday.
 
Still, the Vikings got out in front of the Warriors early, winning the first set, 25-23, and holding a set point in the second set. The Vikings played their best set in the opener, recording 17 kills against only four errors. Redshirt sophomore Parker Webb had four early kills in the set, including three in a row as the Vikings built a 5-2 lead.
 
Webb was back in a Viking uniform for the first time since an injury kept her out of all but the first three weeks of last season. Webb didn't appear to miss a beat, as she was one of only two players to play all five sets for the Vikings, and the only outside hitter to do so. As a result, Webb finished with a team-high 17 kills in the match while comitting only four attack errors.
 
Webb's sixth kill of the first set made it 23-22 Vikings, while a kill from freshman Julia Haynie followed by a combo block between freshman Jasmine Powell and redshirt sophomore newcomer Jordan White won the set for the Vikings.
 
The Vikings got out to a hot start in the second set, going up 9-3 with Webb and Powell leading the way behind a pair of kills each. Powell and fellow freshman Sophia Tuliau finished with eight kills apiece in the match, tied for third on the team behind Webb and senior Toni McDougald, who had nine kills. Powell also added nine digs for the Vikings, second only to freshman libero Ellie Snook.
 
Corban eventually came back to win the second set, 27-25, and led most of the next three sets even as neither team held a dominating lead at any point of any set.
 
Snook started all five sets for the Vikings at libero, while fellow freshman defensive specialist Kylie Komo came on as a back-row player in sets two, four and five. Snook tied Corban's Kealani Ontai for a match-high 21 digs Friday, and was steady in serve receive with only one error on 30 total receptions. Snook also led the Vikings with three service aces, and added three assists.
 
The Vikings rotated all three setters through their lineup against the Warriors, though senior Mary Jo McBride and freshman Caroline Dragani took the lion share of the sets as junior Maddy Reeb mostly played as an outside hitter. McBride started at setter in the first three sets, while Reeb started set four before Dragani came on to finish the match at the position.
 
McBride led all players in the match with 29 assists, while adding eight digs and two kills on seven attempts. Dragani finished with 18 assists despite only starting the shortened fifth set. Reeb only had 10 sets in the match, but finished with two assists to go with five kills, two blocks (one solo, one assist) and a service ace.
 
"I was happy," Seemann said after the match. "I'm never going to be happy with a loss, but we have to be mature about it and keep our vision to the future and know that this was a step for us. Whether it was a win or a loss, it was a step for us. If we give it that power, in terms of us taking a step forward, then I think we're going to be good. I just told them in the locker room, 'I believe in everyone in this room, and I believe that we can get to where we need to be.'"
 
The timing of the Vikings' exhibition match against Corban allows for more growth between now and the start of the season, as the Vikings had their first practice of fall camp only six days ago on Aug. 10. Normally, the Vikings would play their exhibition a week later in the season, but Seemann moved it up a week this season in order to get earlier film on his team in match play.
 
"[This match] provides a great opportunity to watch some film," Seemann said of his team's next steps after Friday. "Blocking is standing out as a major piece that we need to work on. I think we had a lot of blocking errors and if you don't get your hands across the net, then you can lose to a very average team. I think it's good that we'll have very clear feedback from watching film [of this match] and seeing what we can do better as far as blockers are concerned."
 
The Vikings officially open their 2019 season on Aug. 30 with a neutral-site match against Southern Illinois at the Marcia E. Hamilton Classic, hosted by Saint Louis University.
 
Match Notes
The Vikings were selected to finish eighth in the Big Sky in the conference's coaches poll, released earlier in the day Friday…Jadyn Mullen, sister of former Portland State player Jenna Mullen, started all five sets of the match for Corban.