SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Portland State volleyball team was playing its third road match in the past five days Tuesday, and it looked like it as the Vikings fell in three sets (25-13, 25-21, 25-19) to Sacramento State at the Nest.
 
The Nest was likely the worst place for the Vikings to play at the end of a busy weekend, as the Vikings have just five wins in the arena in program history. One of those came last season, but the Vikings hadn't won at the Nest since 2014 before that match.
 
The home-court advantage helped the Hornets (9-10, 4-5 Big Sky) overcome their own busy schedule, after they lost both matches in Montana over the weekend. The Hornets claimed big advantages at the service line and at the net Tuesday, as they out-aced the Vikings 9-to-3, and out-blocked them 11.0-to-5.0.
 
"We're barely over the halfway point of the conference schedule, so we have a lot of growth still ahead of us. Sac State taught us several aspects of where we could stand to improve our game," Portland State head coach Michael Seemann said afterwards.
 
"I like the way the remaining schedule allows us to be home for the remainder of the season. We have a good opportunity to get home, rest up, and play against another Big Sky opponent at home [second-place Northern Colorado Saturday at 2 p.m.]."
 
As Seemann noted, the Vikings (13-7, 7-2 Big Sky) won't face another road trip like they just completed with their match against the Hornets Tuesday. Instead, after playing seven of their first nine Big Sky matches on the road, the Vikings will return home for six of their final seven matches at home.
 
The home cooking should help the Vikings shake off Tuesday's match, which was uncharacteristic for the Vikings in a number of areas. The Vikings hit just .122 as a team, their lowest percentage since their match against Long Beach State on Sept. 4. The Hornets, meanwhile, hit .252 for the highest hitting percentage by a Viking opponent since UTEP hit .297 against the Vikings on Sept. 11.
 
The Vikings also couldn't fire up their comeback mojo, which had saved them in several matches this season. The Vikings have five wins this season in which they dropped the opening set, including two in Big Sky play against Northern Arizona (Oct. 9) and Idaho State (Sept. 25).
 
It was set up for another comeback Tuesday, as the Vikings ran out to an early 9-4 lead in the second set after dropping the first. A 6-2 run got the Hornets back within one at 11-10, however, while a 5-1 run a little later pushed the Hornets ahead at 20-18. Kills from Gabby Hollins and Parker Webb helped the Vikings tie the set against at 21-all, but the Hornets closed with four straight points to take a two-set lead on the Vikings.
 
The Vikings opened the third set on a 3-0 run, but the Hornets immediately responded with seven straight points that gave them the lead for good. The Vikings got back within one a few times, but a 6-1 run in the middle of the set put the Hornets up 16-10 and gave them a comfortable lead that they'd hold the rest of the way.
 
Hollins led the Vikings with 10 kills against the Hornets, while Makayla Lewis recorded nine kills and nine digs, and Webb totaled seven kills and eight digs.
 
Libero Ellie Snook led all players with 20 digs, 18 of which came in the final two sets of the match. Snook had 11 digs in the third set alone, when the Vikings held the Hornets to only .167 hitting for the team's best defensive set of the match.
 
Saturday now marks an opportunity for the Vikings to put the match against the Hornets behind them. The Vikings host Northern Colorado at 2 p.m. Saturday, with the Vikings either playing to draw level with the Bears at second in the Big Sky standings, or playing for sole possession of second place, should the Bears lose to Sacramento State in their match at The Nest Thursday.
 
Either way, the Vikings will count their blessings that they're finally playing at home.
 
Match Notes: The Vikings fell to 24-49 all-time against Sacramento State after Tuesday's loss…The Vikings fell to 5-25 all-time at Sacramento State's home gym…Tuesday marked the first time the Vikings had been swept since they lost in three sets to Long Beach State on Sept. 4…Snook's 20 digs marked a new three-set season high for her this season.