OGDEN, Utah — Maddy Reeb chose to come back this season for moments like this. The fifth-year senior, granted an extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic, recorded the winning kills in the first, fourth and fifth sets, none bigger than the one on the Vikings' third match point that completed a five-set, comeback win over Sacramento State in Thursday's quarterfinal at the Big Sky tournament.
The Vikings fell behind 2-1 to the Hornets – the only Big Sky team they never beat during the regular season – but found a groove in the fourth set and then gutted out a tight fifth set to win, 3-2 (25-18, 22-25, 17-25, 25-14, 15-13).
"We've been in this situation in several matches all year long that I have such confidence in our team and our ability to side out," head coach
Michael Seemann said of the team battling back from a 2-1 deficit. "We really needed to stay patient defensively and in transition, and I believe that was one of the biggest factors in the momentum switch late in the match."
The Vikings (19-9) played like they refused to lose in the fourth set after falling behind 2-1. After the Vikings hit .517 with 16 kills in a dominant first set, the Hornets (16-12) found their stride defensively in the second and third sets. Sacramento State, which averaged a conference-best 2.6 blocks per set in league play, combined for seven blocks in the second and third sets while holding the Vikings to under .100 hitting in each frame.
The fourth set was where the Vikings showed their mettle, however. A 12-1 run broke it open for the Vikings, as they turned what had been a 7-7 score early into a 19-8 runaway lead.
Parker Webb had three kills during the run as part of a late-match show of dominance from her, while
Makayla Lewis recorded an ace and a kill for the Vikings.
Defense was the real factor, however, in the Vikings' refuse-to-lose fourth set. Out-blocked for most of the match, the Vikings had four blocks in their 12-1 run.
Genevieve Florig was part of all four, including a solo block on an attack from Sacramento State's All-Big Sky first-teamer Bridgette Smith that made it 15-8.
Zoe McBride combined with Florig for back-to-back blocks on the final two points of the 12-1 run, then combined with
Ashleigh Barto for another block a little later that made it 22-9.
The Vikings closed out the set with ease, but the Hornets responded by taking a 5-3 lead at the start of the fifth set. The Hornets were initially given the next point, which would have given them a 6-3 lead, but a challenge from Seemann got the Vikings a big reversal that kept them within one at 5-4.
Neither team led by more than two points after that until Webb hammered down two kills in a little, 3-0 run that put the Vikings up 12-10. Webb followed with a third kill two points later that made it 13-11, while Reeb closed out a great defensive point for the Vikings that included a diving save from
Ellie Snook to give them match point at 14-11.
That's where things got nervy again, as the Hornets forced the Vikings into back-to-back attack errors to get back within one at 14-13. One more match point saved and the Hornets would have forced it past 15 points in the fifth set. But that's when Reeb showed her calm and experience, recording a kill on the left side of the net to close out the match and advance her team to Friday's semifinals.
"I'm so happy for Maddy to finish all our sets with kill swings," Seemann said after the match. "She is capable of it, and for her to produce in those big moments is huge."
Reeb finished with 12 kills on .333 hitting for the match, four of which came as she hit .600 in the fifth set.
Ten of Webb's team-high 16 kills came in the fourth and fifth sets. Webb led all players with five kills on only nine swings in the fifth set, when she hit .556. Webb also had five kills on .500 hitting in the fourth set, when she also had one of her two aces in the match.
"Parker stepped up her game from set two onward and never looked back. She is here to win it, as we all are," Seemann said of Webb's determination.
Lewis, the Vikings' leader in kills this season, had another monster match with 13 kills to go with 20 digs. The double-double marked the 13th of the season for Lewis, who has recorded double-doubles in five of the team's last six matches.
All Wada also had her fifth double-double in the past six matches while upping her season total to a team-high 15 with 25 assists and 13 digs. She split setting duties with freshman
Teniyah Leuluai, who played well in her first Big Sky tournament appearance with 26 assists and seven digs.
Wada and Leuluai distributed the ball extremely well throughout the match, as six different Vikings finished with at least six kills. Besides Webb, Lewis and Reeb, McBride finished with eight kills to go with 14 digs and three blocks. Florig and Barto, meanwhile, each had six kills out of the middle for the Vikings, while adding five and four blocks, respectively, at the net.
Ellie Snook, who repeated as Big Sky Libero of the Year when awards were announced Tuesday, led all players with 21 digs to go with six assists and two aces. Snook's two aces tied her for the single-season record that Kaeli Patton set with 46 aces in 2012.
Snook will get a chance to own the record outright in Friday's semifinal match, when the Vikings will be play for their first Big Sky championship match appearance since 2013. The Vikings will face second-seeded Northern Colorado, which advanced after a 3-0 sweep of seventh-seeded Eastern Washington Friday. First serve between the Vikings and Bears will be at 3 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. MT.
Match Notes: The Vikings beat the Hornets for only the third time in their past 16 matches…The teams had only met twice before at the Big Sky tournament, meaning Thursday's win gives the Vikings a 2-1 lead over the Hornets in tournament matches…Webb's 16 kills Thursday moved her past Jessica Frederick (2003-06) for fourth all-time in the Division I history of the program…Snook needs 30 more digs to match Tasha Bojanic (2014-17) for third all-time in digs…The Vikings won the only match between them and their opponent in Friday's semifinal – Northern Colorado – beating them 3-1 at Viking Pavilion on Oct. 23.
