FIRST SERVE
The Portland State volleyball team plays in its third different time zone in as many weeks this weekend. Fortunately for the Vikings, this one is home as they're back in the Pacific Time Zone for their home tournament, the Les Schwab Rose City Showdown, at Viking Pavilion this Friday and Saturday.
 
It's been a steady move West for the Vikings over the beginning of the year. The Vikings played in the Central Time Zone at the Marcia E. Hamilton Classic in St. Louis, Mo., Aug. 30-31, and then moved into the Mountain Time Zone for the La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Invitational in Orem, Utah, last weekend.
 
The strongest early reviews for the Vikings in their travels have come in regards to the team's serving and defensive performance.
 
Serving, especially, has emerged as an early-season strength for the Vikings. A season after the Vikings averaged only 1.07 service aces per set, the Vikings are now averaging 1.82 for what would be the best ever aces per set average in 13 seasons under head coach Michael Seemann if the season ended today.
 
Freshman libero Ellie Snook has led the Vikings' tough servers so far, as she ranks second in the Big Sky Conference and 52nd in the nation with 0.55 service aces per set. Five other players have four or more service aces besides Snook, however. Freshman middle blocker Julia Haynie leads the group behind Snook with six aces, while senior outside hitter Toni McDougald follows her with five. Parker Webb, Jasmine Powell and Caroline Dragani all have four aces each, as well.
 
Snook has also been one of the key cogs in the Vikings' improved defense so far this season. Two matches against quality opponents in 19th-ranked Utah and UC Davis raised the Vikings' opponent hitting percentage last weekend, but the team is still holding opponents to a much lower percentage this season (.210) than they did in 2018 (.248). Snook leads the team and ranks fifth in the conference with 4.18 digs per set for the Vikings, with teammate Powell tied for eighth in the conference with 3.00 digs per set.
 
More than the digs in the back line, however, the Vikings have improved most dramatically at the net, where they rank fourth in the Big Sky and 94th in the nation with 2.23 blocks per set. That's a big jump from the team's average last season, when they averaged only 1.81 blocks per set. Redshirt sophomore Jordan White was held out of competition last weekend with an injury, but still ranks second in the Big Sky with 1.55 blocks per set, individually. Freshman Riley Daniel started in White's place, and now ranks tied for sixth in the conference with 1.17 blocks per set.
 
The Vikings will test both of those strengths again this weekend, when they host Morgan State, Nevada and CSUN at the Les Schwab Rose City Showdown. Morgan State will be an unfamiliar opponent for the Vikings, as Friday's match against the Bears will not only be the Vikings' first-ever meeting with Morgan State, but also their first-ever meeting with any of the current teams in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
 
Nevada and CSUN will be familiar opponents for the Vikings. Both teams have already played other Big Sky schools this season, as Nevada beat traditional conference power Sacramento State, 3-1, while CSUN lost 3-0 to Weber State.
 
Nevada and CSUN open the tournament with a neutral-site match at 10 a.m. Friday, the first of four matches on the first day of the tournament. The Vikings play their first match of the tournament against Morgan State at 12:30 p.m. (PT) Friday, and then face Nevada at 7:30 p.m. (PT) later that night. Morgan State and Nevada then open play at 10:30 a.m. (PT) Saturday, with the Vikings closing the tournament against CSUN at 1 p.m. (PT). All matches at the tournament are presented by Les Schwab.
 
MATCH NOTES: PORTLAND STATE (2-4) vs. MORGAN STATE (5-2)
DETAILS: Friday, Sept. 13, 12:30 p.m. (PT) in Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
LIVE STATS| LIVE VIDEO
SCOUTING MORGAN STATE:The Morgan State Bears started the season 2-0 for the first time since 1999 between a pair of five-set wins over Seton Hall and William & Mary. The Bears added 3-0 sweeps over Siena, Fairleigh Dickinson and the New Jersey Institute of Technology, while losing 3-0 to Towson and Quinnipiac. Statistically, the Bears lead the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and rank 27th in the nation with an opponent hitting percentage of .172. The Bears also lead their conference and rank 135th in the nation with 12.64 kills per set, and lead MEAC and rank 158th in the nation with 11.40 assists per set. Individually, the Bears' Zoe McBride leads the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and ranks 21st in the nation with 4.84 kills per set. McBride has five double-doubles in the Bears' seven matches so far this season, including a career-high 30 kills to go with 13 digs in her team's season opener against Seton Hall. Tyler Roberson ranks second to McBride with 3.32 kills per set, and has recorded eight or more kills in every match this season. Roi Wallace has been the Bears' full-time setter so far, and ranks second in her conference and 54th nationally with 10.32 assists per set. Junior libero Jennevy Santos leads the team with 3.84 digs per set, while McBride ranks second to her with 3.16 digs per set. No Bears player averages more than a block per set, with Sara Brown leading the team with 0.86 blocks per set. 
ALL-TIME SERIES:This Friday's match will be the first-ever meeting between the Vikings and Bears. Friday will also mark the Vikings' first-ever match against a current team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
 
MATCH NOTES: PORTLAND STATE (2-4) vs. NEVADA (4-2)
DETAILS: Friday, Sept. 13, 7:30 p.m. (PT) in Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
LIVE STATS| LIVE VIDEO
SCOUTING NEVADA: The Nevada Wolf Pack have gone 2-1 at their first two tournaments of the season, including a 3-1 win over one of the Big Sky's traditional powers, Sacramento State. The Wolf Pack beat the Hornets 3-1 at Sacramento State's own tournament on Aug. 31. Nevada has started hot defensively, as they rank in the top 25 of the nation in both digs per set (17.57, 22nd nationally) and blocks per set (2.65, 25th nationally). Sydney Petersen leads the Wolf Pack blockers individually, as she ranks second in the Mountain West Conference and 34th nationally with 1.48 blocks per set. Two other players rank in the top 15 of the Mountain West with her, as Brianna Souza and Kassie McGill rank 11th and 13th with 1.04 and 0.91 blocks per set, respectively. In the back row, senior libero Ryan Blackwood leads the Mountain West and ranks 75th in the nation with 4.61 digs per set. Junior outside hitter Kayla Afoa ranks next to her on the team with 3.61 digs per set. Offensively, the Wolf Pack are no slouches, either, as they lead the Mountain West and rank 70th in the nation with 13.43 kills per set. Afoa leads the team with 3.70 kills per set, while Camryn Rocha and Souza rank second and third on the team with 2.74 and 2.43 kills per set, respectively. Afoa has gone into double figures for kills in every match so far, including a 20-20 match in which she had 20 kills and 21 digs in the Wolf Pack's 3-1 win over Sacramento State. Afoa also had double-doubles against CSU Bakersfield (14 kills, 11 digs), Canisius (18 kills, 18 digs) and San Francisco (13 kills, 20 digs).
ALL-TIME SERIES:The Vikings are 6-1 all time against Nevada, and have won all four meetings since turning Division I back in 1996. The Vikings and Wolf Pack last played on Sept. 1, 2017, with the Vikings winning, 3-1. The Vikings and Wolf Pack last played in Portland on Sept. 5, 2015, with the Vikings winning, 3-0.
 
MATCH NOTES: PORTLAND STATE (2-4) vs. CSUN (1-5)
DETAILS: Saturday, Sept. 14, 1 p.m. (PT) in Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
LIVE STATS| LIVE VIDEO
SCOUTING CSUN:The CSUN Matadors lost their first five matches of the season before winning their final match at the Fresno State Invitational last Friday, beating CSU Bakersfield, 3-0. CSUN had lost to two opponents the Vikings will face later in the season before that, as the Matadors lost 3-1 to the University of Portland and 3-0 to Weber State at Weber State's home tournament in Ogden, Utah. Defense has been an issue early for the Matadors, as opponents have hit .340 or better in three of their six matches this season. Unsurprisingly, the Matadors played their best defense of the season in their win over CSU Bakersfield, holding the Roadrunners to .115 hitting while matching their season high with 15 blocks in the match. Individually, junior libero Makayla Bradford leads the team with 3.29 digs per set. Hayden Warnock and Daniella Molinari, meanwhile, had played sparingly before playing all three sets in CSUN's win over CSU Bakersfield, and now lead the team with 1.83 and 1.00 blocks per set, respectively. Offensively, Seyvion Waggoner leads the team while ranking second in the Big West Conference and 48th in the nation with 4.32 kills per set. Besides her, only Nicole Nevarez averages more than two kills per set for CSUN, as she holds a mark of 2.89 kills per set so far this season. Kamalu Makekau-Whittaker has been CSUN's primary setter so far this season, and leads the Big West while ranking 27th in the nation with 11.00 assists per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES:The Vikings took a 13-12 lead in the all-time series between them and the Matadors with two wins against CSUN during the 2017 season. The Vikings faced CSUN at two different neutral-site tournaments, and beat them 3-1 in their first matchup, and then 3-0 in their second. Before that, the Matadors had won seven of the teams' previous eight meetings. The Matadors hold a 9-5 lead in the series since 1996, when the Vikings became a Division I program.
 
STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS
• The Vikings went 0-3 at the La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Invitational in Orem, Utah, last weekend. The Vikings lost 3-2 to host Utah Valley despite winning the first two sets against the Wolverines, and then followed with three-set losses to 19th-ranked Utah and UC Davis.
• Freshman libero Ellie Snook was named to the La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Invitational All-Tournament Team after the weekend. Snook was also named to the All-Tournament Team following the Marcia E. Hamilton Classic on the opening weekend of the regular season.
• The Vikings were without redshirt sophomore middle blocker Jordan White due to injury last weekend, leaving them with two starting freshmen at middle blocker. Riley Daniel took over White's starting spot, and had six blocks each in the Vikings' matches against Utah Valley and UC Davis.
• Senior Mary Jo McBride and freshman Caroline Dragani split time at setter last weekend. McBride started all three matches, though Dragani played all three sets against Utah and led the Vikings with 17 assists. McBride had her best match in the Vikings' five-set loss to Utah Valley, recording her first-career double-double with 32 assists and 11 digs in the match.
• White still ranks second in the Big Sky with 1.55 blocks per set despite not playing last weekend. Daniel moved into the top 10 while starting in place of White, and now ranks tied for sixth with 1.17 blocks per set.
• Snook ranks second in the Big Sky and 52nd in the nation with 0.55 service aces per set. The Vikings also rank second in the conference and 49th in the nation with 1.89 aces per set as a team.
 
WE'RE HOOKED ON ELLIE SNOOK
The early returns for freshman Ellie Snook as the Vikings' starting libero have been nothing but encouraging. Snook made the All-Tournament team after each of the Vikings' first two tournaments of the season. Snook earned both honors after being a steady presence in the Vikings' back row, as well as a troublesome server for opposing teams. Snook ranks second in the Big Sky and 52nd in the nation with 0.55 service aces per set, and also ranks fifth in the conference and 135th in the nation with 4.18 digs per set. Snook has recorded 20+ digs in two different matches this season, between 20 digs against Saint Louis on Aug. 31 and 22 digs against Utah Valley on Sept. 6.
 
THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN OF PARKER WEBB
In her first official match back from an injury that kept her out for all but the first three weeks of last season, redshirt sophomore outside hitter Parker Webb showed the Vikings how much they missed her in 2018. Webb finished with a career-high 17 kills while leading the Vikings to a 3-0 sweep of Southern Illinois in the team's season opener on Aug. 30. Webb's 17 kills marked the most by a Viking in a three-set match since Pati Anae had 18 against Southern Utah on Oct. 27, 2016. Additionally, Webb recorded her 17 kills while hitting .533, her second-best mark ever in a match in which she recorded at least 12 kills. Webb leads the team with 2.73 kills per set this season, and also holds a team-best .214 hitting percentage on the season.
 
NET GAIN
A major question mark going into the season was what the Vikings would do at middle blocker. Two tournaments in, and the Vikings have put some of those questions to rest, even as the blocking star of the Vikings' first weekend of play – redshirt sophomore Jordan White – was held out for the second weekend due to an injury. White helped lead the Vikings to their best blocking performance in recent years in the Vikings' 3-1 win over Middle Tennessee on Aug. 31. White recorded a career-high nine blocks against Middle Tennessee, while the Vikings recorded 16 blocks as a team for their most blocks in a match since Oct. 29, 2016. Even without White last weekend, the Vikings recorded seven blocks against Utah Valley on Friday, and 10 blocks against UC Davis on Saturday. For the season, the Vikings are averaging 2.23 blocks per set as a team, ranking them fourth in the Big Sky and 94th in the nation. That's a big improvement from last year, when the Vikings averaged only 1.81 blocks per set. White still ranks second in the Big Sky with 1.55 blocks per set, despite missing last weekend, while freshman Riley Daniel ranks tied for sixth with 1.17 blocks per set.
 
POWELL'S A GOOD NAME IN PORTLAND
Two weekends into her college career and freshman outside hitter Jasmine Powell already has two double-doubles to her name. Powell recorded her first collegiate double-double with 11 kills and 15 digs in the Vikings' 3-1 win over Middle Tennessee on Aug. 31, and then followed with 12 kills and 14 digs in the Vikings' 3-2 loss to Utah Valley last Friday. Powell was also a kill away from a double-double with nine kills and 13 digs in the Vikings' sweep of Southern Illinois on Aug. 30. Powell's strong dig performances have her ranked tied for eighth in the Big Sky with 3.00 digs per set. Powell also ranks third on the team with 2.10 kills per set.
 
SETTLING IN ON A SETTER
After freshman Caroline Dragani started all three matches of the Vikings' first tournament of the season, senior Mary Jo McBride started all three matches of the second last weekend. Both have played no matter who has started, however, with the exception of the Vikings' season opener, when Dragani stayed on the court the whole way while recording 39 assists in her collegiate debut. That match remains Dragani's best of the season, as it marked the most assists by a Viking setter in a three-set match since Erin Clark had 51 assists against Southern Utah on Oct. 14, 2017. McBride's best match came against Utah Valley last Friday, when she recorded her first-career double-double at Portland State with 32 assists and 11 digs.
 
VIKING DEFENSE OFF TO HOT START
The Viking defense took a hit against 19th-ranked Utah and UC Davis last weekend, but remains ahead of where it was a season ago when opponents hit .248 against the Vikings. The Vikings recorded one of their best defensive matches in several years in their 3-1 win over Middle Tennessee on Aug. 31. The Vikings held Middle Tennessee to .060 hitting in the match, the lowest hitting percentage by a Viking opponent since Gonzaga hit .056 on Sept. 2, 2017. Additionally, the Vikings recorded 16 blocks in the match, their most in a match since recording 16 against Northern Arizona on Oct. 29, 2016. As a result, the Vikings as a team rank fourth in the Big Sky in both blocks per set (2.23) and digs per set (15.32) so far this season.
 
TOUGH SERVING, EASY POINTS
An identity the Vikings lost during a tough 2018 season was that of being a tough serving team. That already appears to be changing this season as the Vikings average 1.82 service aces per set as a team, a huge jump from the team's average of 1.07 aces per set last season. Additionally, the Vikings rank second in the Big Sky and 49th in the nation as a team with that average, while freshman libero Ellie Snook ranks second in the Big Sky and 52nd nationally with 0.55 service aces per set individually. Besides Snook, five other Vikings have four or more service aces this season. Freshman middle blocker Julia Haynie leads the group behind Snook with six aces, while senior outside hitter Toni McDougald follows her with five. Parker Webb, Jasmine Powell and Caroline Dragani all have four service aces each. 
 
SEVEN FRESHMEN, EIGHT NEWCOMERS
The Vikings may face some growing pains early in the season, as they try to integrate eight newcomers to the team, including seven freshmen. The Vikings returned only four letterwinners from their 2018 team, including only two starters in senior outside hitter Toni McDougald and junior setter Maddy Reeb. Senior setter Mary Jo McBride and redshirt sophomore outside hitter Parker Webb also returned. Because of that, the Vikings will use youth at every position during the season, especially at libero, where the Vikings are guaranteed to start a first-year player in either Ellie Snook or Kylie Komo. The Vikings also have nothing but newcomers at middle blocker, while freshman Caroline Dragani started the Vikings' first three matches of the season at setter.
 
MICHAEL SEEMANN IN 200-WIN CLUB
Portland State head coach Michael Seemann earned his 200th career win at Portland State in the Vikings' season opener last season. With the win, 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 victories 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 (All Sports)
Coach	Wins	Sport	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	206	Volleyball	2007-Present

 










 

Most Coaching Wins at Portland State (Volleyball)
Coach	Wins	Sport	Years
Marlene Piper	445	Volleyball	1969-72, 1974-83
Jeff Mozzochi	371	Volleyball	1984-92, 2001-06
Michael Seemann	206	Volleyball	2007-Present