MOSCOW, Idaho — The Portland State volleyball team led late in both the first and second sets Thursday against Idaho, but the Vandals came back to win both in an eventual 3-0 (26-24, 25-23, 25-20) sweep over the Vikings in both teams' Big Sky opener at Memorial Gym.
 
The Vikings (4-8, 0-1 Big Sky) held a set point at 24-23 in the first set against the Vandals (5-8, 1-0 Big Sky), only to see the Vandals win three straight points and take the set. The Vikings also led 19-16 late in the second set before the Vandals won nine of the final 13 points to go up 2-0.
 
Idaho's comebacks made for a painful, yet necessary lesson for the young Vikings, who had six of their seven freshmen make their Big Sky debuts in the match.
 
"We created several opportunities to influence sets in our favor, and yet we did not finish points. We gave the home team several opportunities to gain momentum, and they capitalized on that," PSU head coach Michael Seemann said after the match.
 
"We just have to focus on our next match, regroup, and take the lessons learned from tonight."
 
Freshman Ellie Snook was a bright spot for the Vikings, as she recorded a match-high 22 digs, 10 of which came in the first set alone. Snook's 22 digs mark a seasonal best for her in a three-set match, as well as the most by a Viking in a three-set match since Tasha Bojanic had 23 digs against Sacramento State on Sept. 30, 2017. Snook has now recorded 20 digs or more in four of the Vikings' last six matches, and six matches overall this season.
 
Snook pulled off her most ridiculous play of the season to day early in the second set. With Idaho leading 5-4, the Vandals hit a ball down the line on a slide play. PSU freshman Jasmine Powell managed to get a touch on the ball, and Snook dove for a desperation dig. Snook's dig only got up to Powell's hip, however, but Powell somehow managed to body the ball back to Snook, who hit the ball over the net while still on the ground. Idaho promptly hit an attack out of bounds on their next play, giving the Vikings the point thanks to a ridiculous save from Snook.

What a save by Ellie Snook!!!#NCAAVB | @psuviksVBpic.twitter.com/mMmYKejpar

— NCAA Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) September 27, 2019

 
Snook's crazy save came at the end of a 3-0 run that brought the Vikings level with the Vandals after Idaho had gone up 5-2 early in the set. Another 3-0 run later in the set gave the Vikings a 16-13 lead, with Powell and fellow freshman Caroline Dragani giving the Vikings the last two points on a solo block and kill, respectively.
 
The Vikings still led by three at 19-16 when momentum shifted back towards the Vandals. Two straight kills from Idaho's Kennedy Warren brought the Vandals level again at 19-19, forcing Seemann to call a timeout. PSU redshirt sophomore Parker Webb traded kills with Kennedy over the next four points, before an Idaho service error gave the Vikings the lead again at 22-21. An Idaho block brought the Vandals level again, however, and three Idaho kills over the final four points gave the Vandals the set and a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
The Vandals shot out of the gates early in the third set, going up 9-2 behind a pair of service aces and three kills from the Vandals' Nicole Ball.
 
The Vandals still led by six at 17-11 when the Vikings went on a 4-0 run to get back within two and make it interesting. McDougald and redshirt sophomore Jordan White combined for a block in the run, while White teamed up with junior Maddy Reeb for another block later that made it 18-16. The Viking block had been absent from the match up until that point, as the Vikings recorded only two blocks in the first two sets of the match but had five in the third set alone.
 
The Vandals responded with four straight points to go back up by six at 22-16, though the Vikings countered with three straight kills from Reeb, freshman Julia Haynie and Webb to make it 22-19. The Vandals maintained at least a three-point lead the rest of the way, however, and eventually closed out the match with back-to-back kills from Donnée Janzen and Kyra Palmbush.
 
Earlier in the match, the Vikings opened up an 11-7 lead in the first set behind a 4-0 run that featured back-to-back kills from Dragani and Webb followed by a service ace from Dragani. Webb recorded another kill a little later to snap a mini Idaho run, and an Idaho attack error on the next point made it a four-point game again at 13-9.
 
The Vandals won seven of the next eight points to take a 16-14 lead, however, and stretched that to a 19-16 lead a few points later.
 
Dragani snapped the run with another kill, her second of the set, and McDougald followed another Idaho attack error with an ace to bring the Vikings level again at 19-19. The teams traded points over the next eight points, until Webb gave the Vikings a set point at 24-23 with her fifth kill of the set.
 
However, a PSU block and attack error on the next two points gave the Vandals their own set point at 25-24, and the Vandals would convert behind a kill from Avery Housley.
 
Statistically, the Vandals outhit the Vikings .285-to-.208 in the match, and recorded more blocks (10-to-7) and kills (49-to-37).
 
Individually, Webb led the Vikings with 12 kills, the sixth straight match in which she's had at least 10 kills. McDougald followed Webb with 11 kills, the fourth straight time and fifth time out of the last six matches that she's gone into double figures for kills.
 
The Vikings now face a quick turnaround for their next match, as they square off against Eastern Washington in Cheney, Wash., tomorrow at 7 p.m. (PT).
 
Match Notes: The Vikings fell to 16-7 all time against Idaho with Thursday's loss…The Vandals took a 4-3 lead in the Big Sky series between the two teams with their win over the Vikings…Powell recorded 10 digs against the Vandals, the eighth time this season that she's recorded 10-plus digs in a match.