FIRST SERVE

A match with first place on the line in the Big Sky standings went the Vikings' way last Saturday, as the Portland State volleyball team overcame a first-set loss to beat Weber State in four sets.
 
Now comes the hard part. Staying there.
 
The Vikings face a particularly tough challenge this weekend, as they split their matches between home and away. The Vikings host Sacramento State Thursday at 7 p.m. before traveling to Southern Utah for their final road match of the regular season Saturday at 5 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. MT.
 
And if last Saturday's match with Weber State was a meeting between the top two teams in the Big Sky standings, Thursday's match with Sacramento State will be a matchup of the two hottest teams in the Big Sky Conference. The Hornets come in having won five straight matches, all in three sets, and three of the five came against the top three teams in the conference in Portland State, Weber State and Northern Colorado. 
 
The Hornets' streak started against the Vikings on Oct. 19, as Sacramento State swept the Vikings, who were closing out a three-match road trip over a five-day span.
 
The Vikings would love to exact some revenge on the Hornets, then, just as they did against the Wildcats last Saturday. Weber State beat the Vikings in four sets to open Big Sky play on Sept. 23, but the Vikings flipped that script with a four-set win over the Wildcats last weekend at Viking Pavilion.
 
The Vikings took away the Wildcats' bread and butter in the match, as they out-aced Weber State 11-to-9, and held Weber State's league-leading offense to a season-low .076 hitting. The Vikings recorded a season-high 16 blocks in the match, with Genevieve Florig and Ashleigh Barto leading the way at the net with nine and seven blocks, respectively. Five of Florig's nine blocks – including all three of her solo blocks – came in the third and fourth sets, when the Vikings held the Wildcats to negative hitting while closing out the win.
 
The Vikings' advantage on the serve may have been a bit of a surprise considering Weber State came into the match third in the NCAA for aces per set this season. At the same time, the strong serving continued a trend for the Vikings, who have now recorded 30 aces combined in their last three matches. The Vikings set a season high with 13 aces against Northern Colorado last Saturday, and followed a week later with the 11 aces they recorded against Weber State.
 
Ellie Snook set a career high with five aces against Northern Colorado, then matched that total with five aces against the Wildcats. Snook now ranks third in the Big Sky and 38th in the NCAA with 0.44 aces per set, an average that would set a new single-season school record during the 25-point scoring format (2008-pres.) if the season ended today. Snook's 37 aces this season also stand just nine shy of the single-season record Kaeli Patton set with 46 aces during the 2012 season.
 
The Vikings also played well offensively against Weber State, with four different players finishing with at least 10 kills. Parker Webb and Makayla Lewis led the way with 16 and 15 kills, respectively, while Zoe McBride and Maddy Reeb followed with 10 kills each. The Vikings also spread the wealth against Idaho State, as McBride, Reeb and Ashleigh Barto each recorded nine kills while hitting over .400 against the Bengals, while Lewis led the way with 11 kills.
 
Both the Viking offense and defense will be tested against the red-hot Hornets Thursday. In their five recent sweeps, the Hornets are hitting .272 while giving up only .151 to opponents. Additionally, the Hornets are averaging 14.9 kills and 2.2 aces per set during their current win streak, while also recording 16.7 digs and 2.87 blocks per set defensively.
 
Bridgette Smith has raised her game to another level during the Hornets' recent run. An All-Big Sky second-team selection last season as a freshman, Smith has averaged 4.00 kills per set on .247 hitting, while also adding 2.60 digs per set over the team's last five wins. Smith ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 3.33 kills per set over the entire season, and also stands seventh with 0.40 aces per set.
 
Cianna Andrews, meanwhile, ranks second in the Big Sky with 1.13 blocks per set, just ahead of teammate Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin, who ranks fifth in the conference with 1.05 blocks per set.
 
The Hornets have played better at home than they have on the road, which should make Thursday – the Hornets' first road match since they lost 3-0 at Montana on Oct. 16 – an interesting challenge. The Hornets are just 3-6 on the road this season versus 10-4 at home.
 
The same could be true about most teams, however, including Southern Utah, the Vikings' opponent Saturday. The Thunderbirds are 0-10 on the road this season, but are 3-6 at home where they've owned the Vikings' number each of the past two seasons. The Vikings haven't beaten the Thunderbirds in Cedar City since 2018.
 
Defense has been the strongest part of the Thunderbirds' game this season. Southern Utah ranks third in the Big Sky with 2.28 blocks per set, while two Thunderbirds rank among the conference's top 10 individually. Raegen Ashby and Carissa Richie stand fourth and sixth, respectively, with 1.09 and 1.05 blocks per set.
 
The Thunderbirds out-blocked the Vikings 12-to-7 in their match at Viking Pavilion on Oct. 7, but the Vikings still won in three sets thanks to outhitting the Thunderbirds .172-to-.053. Maddy Reeb led the Vikings with 10 kills on .471 hitting in that match, and was the only Viking with over six kills.
 
It should be a pair of tricky matches for the Vikings this weekend, then, as they prepare to stay atop the Big Sky after climbing to the top last weekend. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, after all.
 

MATCH #1: PORTLAND STATE (16-7, 10-2) vs. SACRAMENTO STATE (13-10, 7-5)

LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Thursday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
SCOUTING SACRAMENTO STATE: The Sacramento State Hornets come into Thursday's match as the hottest team in the Big Sky Conference, having swept their last five opponents, including the Vikings on Oct. 19. All five matches have come at home as the Hornets are on the same schedule as the Vikings where they played a conference schedule front loaded with a bunch of road matches. Six of the Hornets' first eight Big Sky matches were on the road, which led to them starting 3-5 in Big Sky play. Since then, however, the Hornets have swept the Vikings on Oct. 19, Northern Colorado on Oct. 21, Weber State on Oct. 28 and Idaho State on Oct. 30. The sweep of Weber State last Thursday was particularly impressive, as the Wildcats came into the match having won 10 straight matches and 22 straight sets. All aspects of the Hornets' game have been clicking during their last five matches. The Hornets have hit .272 combined over their last five, while averaging 14.9 kills and 2.2 aces per set. Defensively, meanwhile, the Hornets are holding opponents to .151 hitting while averaging 16.7 digs and 2.87 blocks per set. Individually, Bridgette Smith has averaged 4.00 kills on .247 hitting during the Hornets' win streak, while also adding 2.60 digs per set. Four other players have averaged at least two kills per set, while another four Hornets have averaged over 1.00 blocks per set during the streak. The Hornets' recent play has moved them into the Big Sky lead for blocks, as they average 2.51 blocks per set over the course of the whole season. Individually, Smith ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 3.33 kills per set this season, and also stands seventh with 0.40 aces per set. Cianna Andrews, meanwhile, ranks second in the Big Sky with 1.13 blocks per set, just ahead of teammate Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin, who ranks fifth in the conference with 1.05 blocks per set. The Hornets have played better at home than they have on the road, which should make Thursday – the Hornets' first road match since they lost 3-0 at Montana on Oct. 16 – an interesting challenge. The Hornets are just 3-6 on the road this season versus 10-4 at home. Additionally, the Hornets' hitting percentage is 50 points higher in home matches (.208) than it is in away matches (.157).
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Hornets lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 49-24. The teams are 2-2 in their last four matches against each other, but the Hornets won the 10 matches before that. The Vikings snapped the streak in their last match against the Hornets at Viking Pavilion, coming back from a 2-1 deficit to win in five sets on Senior Day in 2019.
 

MATCH #2: PORTLAND STATE (16-7, 10-2) vs. SOUTHERN UTAH (6-18, 2-10)

LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Saturday, Nov. 6, 5 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. MT, Cedar City, Utah (America First Event Center)
SCOUTING SOUTHERN UTAH: The Southern Utah Thunderbirds head into the weekend having lost four straight matches, as their last win came on Oct. 16, when they swept Idaho State at home. The Thunderbirds' other Big Sky win this season also came at home, as they beat Idaho in four sets on Sept. 25. Southern Utah plays at Northern Arizona Thursday, before hosting the Vikings Saturday for their final home match of the regular season. Overall this season, the Thunderbirds come into the weekend ranked higher on the defensive side of their game. Southern Utah ranks highest in blocks, as the Thunderbirds enter the weekend third in the Big Sky with 2.28 blocks per set. The Thunderbirds also stand eighth in the Big Sky with a .221 opponent hitting percentage. Outside of defense, the strongest offensive part of the Thunderbirds' game has been their serve. They rank seventh in the Big Sky with 1.39 aces per set, and totaled eight in their last match against Eastern Washington on Oct. 30. Individually, Molly McDermott leads the team while ranking 10th in the Big Sky with 0.34 aces per set. Two Thunderbirds, meanwhile, rank among the conference's top 10 in blocks, as Raegen Ashby and Carissa Richie rank fourth and sixth, respectively, with 1.09 and 1.05 blocks per set. Libero Calli Johnson also ranks fifth in the Big Sky with 3.79 digs per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Thunderbirds, 13-6. The Vikings snapped a three-match losing streak to the Thunderbirds with a 3-0 win at Viking Pavilion on Oct. 7 earlier this season. The Vikings haven't won in Cedar City, however, since Oct. 25, 2018.
 

STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings moved into a tie for first in the Big Sky standings with a 3-1 win over Weber State Saturday, their third win in a row and their 10th out of their last 11 matches. The Vikings and Wildcats both have four matches remaining in the regular season. The Vikings play Sacramento State (home), Southern Utah (away), Montana State (home) and Montana (home), while the Wildcats play Idaho State (away), Northern Colorado (away), Northern Arizona (home) and Southern Utah (home).
• The Vikings have won their last eight matches at home, including all five of their Big Sky matches. The Vikings haven't lost at home since falling in four sets to UTEP on Sept. 11. They're 10-2 at home this season.
• The Vikings started 7-1 in Big Sky play this season, their best start to conference play since they won 14 of their first 15 Big Sky matches in 2012. The team won seven matches in a row after dropping their opener to Weber State, giving the program its longest winning streak since it won 10 matches in a row in 2013.
• Seven of the Vikings' first nine Big Sky matches came on the road, and the Vikings went 5-2 in those seven conference road matches. The 5-2 record included the Vikings' first road sweep of the Montana schools since 2013, as well as the team's first Big Sky road sweep of any kind since 2017, when they beat Idaho and Eastern Washington in back-to-back matches on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, respectively.
• Saturday's win over Weber State marked the sixth time this season that the Vikings have come back to win a match after dropping the opening set. Three of those six wins have come in Big Sky play, as in addition to Saturday, the Vikings also came back to beat Northern Arizona on Oct. 9 and Idaho State on Sept. 25.
• The Vikings held both Idaho State and Weber State to under .100 hitting last weekend, with Weber State's .076 mark representing a season low for a Wildcat offense that came into the match leading the Big Sky in hitting percentage. As a result, the Vikings moved up to first in the Big Sky with an opponent hitting percentage of .181.
• The Vikings out-aced Weber State, 11-to-9, despite the Wildcats coming into the match ranked third in the NCAA this season for aces per set. Ellie Snook matched the career high she set a week ago with five aces, and now ranks 38th in the NCAA with 0.44 aces per set. As a team, the Vikings rank 42nd nationally with 1.71 aces per set.
• The Vikings recorded a season-high 16 blocks against Weber State Saturday. Genevieve Florig and Ashleigh Barto led the way with nine and seven blocks, respectively. Florig was named the Big Sky Defensive Co-Player of the Week as a result, as she also had five blocks against Idaho State Thursday to average 2.00 blocks per set over the weekend. Florig now ranks third in the Big Sky with 1.12 blocks per set. 
• The Vikings hit .211 against Weber State Saturday, the first time the Vikings surpassed .200 since their win over Montana State on Oct. 16. The Vikings rank second in the Big Sky for both kills per set (13.1) and assists per set (12.0).
• Ellie Snook leads the Big Sky and ranks eighth in the NCAA with 5.47 digs per set this season, equal to the single-season record she set as a freshman. Snook leads the No. 2-ranked player in the conference by 1.4 digs per set, as Montana's Sarina Moreno averages 4.07 d/s.
• Makayla Lewis and Parker Webb rank sixth and seventh in the Big Sky with 3.23 and 3.19 kills per set, respectively. The pair both had strong matches against Weber State Saturday. Lewis totaled 15 kills and a career-high 21 digs, while Webb led the Vikings with 16 kills on .368 hitting to go with a season-high six blocks.
• Ally Wada and Teniyah Leuluai both had double-doubles against Weber State last Saturday while the Vikings played in a 6-2 formation. Leuluai led the Vikings with 22 assists while setting a new career high with 10 digs. Wada, meanwhile, totaled 19 assists and 11 digs to record her 11th double-double of the season. Wada ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 8.06 assists per set this season.
• The Vikings have more upperclassmen (10) than underclassmen (6) for the first time since 2018. It's a far cry from the team's numbers two years ago, when they had seven freshmen and nine underclassmen on their 12-player roster. The team has three fifth-year players in Genevieve Florig, Maddy Reeb and Parker Webb.
• The Vikings added six newcomers over the offseason between three true freshmen – Morgan Halady, Teniyah Leuluai and Lily Snook – and three transfers – Genevieve Florig, Makayla Lewis and Sydney Rabe. Of the transfers, Florig came in as a grad transfer from UCONN, Lewis played two years at San Jose State, while Rabe was at UW Green Bay last year but didn't play and remains a redshirt freshman. Florig joins Zoe McBride, who transferred to the Vikings before last season, as players from the Portland area who started their careers at other Division I schools before transferring back to the region.
• Lily Snook joined her sister Ellie on the Vikings' team this season. Their father, Jamie Snook, also played men's basketball at Portland State from 1996-99. Additionally, their cousin, Jake Porter, plays for the Vikings' football team, and Jake's dad played baseball at Portland State in the 1990s.
• Maddy Reeb would have exhausted her eligibility last year, but decided to come back for a fifth year after the NCAA granted all volleyball players an extra year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Reeb split time between being a setter and an outside hitter during her first four years at Portland State, but will play exclusively on the outside this season. Reeb's versatility saw her become the first Viking since 2010 to record a triple-double last year, which she did twice during the season.

 

COMEBACK VIKS

The Vikings squandered six set points in the first set against Weber State Saturday, falling 34-32. The team's reaction? Shrug. The Vikings shook it off by winning the next three sets, completing their sixth comeback victory after dropping the opening set this season. Three of those six wins have come in Big Sky play, as in addition to the comeback against Weber State Saturday, the Vikings also won after dropping the opening set against Idaho State on Sept. 25 and Northern Arizona on Oct. 9. The comebacks during non-conference play came against Santa Clara on Aug. 28, Grand Canyon on Sept. 10 and North Dakota State on Sept. 18. The Vikings reverse swept North Dakota State, as they erased an 0-2 deficit for the first time since Sept. 8, 2016. Comebacks have also been part of other matches, including both matches against the Montana schools, which the Vikings swept on the road for the first time since 2013. The Vikings came back from a 2-1 deficit against Montana on Oct. 14, then saved five set points in the first set of their 3-1 win over Montana State on Oct. 16. The comeback gene is a fitting part of the Vikings' DNA this season after head coach Michael Seemann introduced competition as early and as often as possible during the Vikings' fall camp in August.  
 

LEAGUE-LEADNG DEFENSE

The Vikings played their best defensive match of the season Saturday while holding Weber State – the league-leading offense entering the match – to .076 hitting. The .076 mark represented a season low for Weber State, whose previous season low had been .122 against then-No. 20 Utah on Sept. 9. A seasonal-best performance at the net fueled the defensive effort, as the Vikings out-blocked the Wildcats 16-to-6. Genevieve Florig and Ashleigh Barto led the way with nine and seven blocks, respectively, while Parker Webb added a season-high six blocks. Florig earned Big Sky Defensive Co-Player of the Week honors with her nine blocks, five of which came in the third and fourth sets as the Vikings closed out the Wildcats. The Vikings also held Idaho State to under .100 hitting Thursday, as the Bengals hit just .074 against the Vikings. The Portland State defense now leads the Big Sky with an opponent hitting percentage of .181, while the Vikings continue to lead the conference with 17.0 digs per set, an average that also ranks them 19th in the NCAA. Ellie Snook – last year's Big Sky Libero of the Year – makes the defensive motor run for the Vikings, as she leads the Big Sky while ranking eighth nationally with 5.47 digs per set. Snook's average gives her more than a full dig-per-set lead over the No. 2-ranked played in the conference, Montana's Sarina Moreno at 4.07. Three other regular starters average well over two digs per set besides Snook as Makayla Lewis, Zoe McBride and Ally Wada average 2.63, 2.60 and 2.45 d/s, respectively.
 

ACE IN THE HOLE

Serving has been a major factor for the Vikings over their past three matches, as they've totaled 30 aces between their matches against Northern Colorado, Idaho State and Weber State. The Vikings recorded a season-high 13 aces against Northern Colorado on Oct. 23, and out-aced Weber State 11-to-9 last Saturday. The performance against the Wildcats was particularly impressive considering the Wildcats came into the match ranked third in the NCAA for aces per set. The Vikings now rank third in the Big Sky and 42nd in the nation with 1.71 aces per set after their recent run of form. Ellie Snook has led the effort, as she set a career high with five aces against Northern Colorado, then matched that with five aces against Weber State. Snook now ranks third in the Big Sky and 38th in the nation with 0.44 aces per set individually. That average would give Snook another single-season school record if the season ended today, while her 37 aces this season are only nine away from matching Kaeli Patton's record total of 46 from the 2012 season.
 

DEPTH AT THE PINS

Makayla Lewis has led or tied for the team lead in kills in eight of the Vikings' 12 Big Sky matches so far, but even with Lewis' production, there has been an impressive display of depth for the Vikings. Six different players have either led or tied for the lead in kills during Big Sky play, with those six different kill leaders coming in the Vikings' past eight matches. Four different Vikings recorded at least 10 kills in the Vikings' match against Weber State Saturday. Parker Webb and Lewis led the way with 16 and 15 kills, respectively, while Zoe McBride and Maddy Reeb added 10 kills each. The Vikings also showed depth against Idaho State Thursday, with Lewis posting 11 kills while McBride, Reeb and Ashleigh Barto all had nine kills while hitting over .400. Overall this season, Lewis and Webb rank next to each other in the top 10 of the Big Sky for kills per set. Lewis stands sixth with 3.23 kills per set, while Webb ranks seventh with 3.19 kills per set. Lewis ranks even higher within Big Sky play, as she stands third with 3.50 kills per set against conference opponents. Besides those two, McBride has gone into double figures for kills in two of the Vikings' past three matches, and has been one stat away from a double-double in all three matches. Reeb, meanwhile, had 19 kills over the team's seven sets against Idaho State and Weber State last weekend, giving her an average of 2.71 kills per set on .295 hitting to go with 0.86 blocks per set. Gabby Hollins has also had strong matches this season, the biggest coming at Montana State on Oct. 16, when she tied Lewis for a match high with 18 kills. Hollins also had 16 kills and 15 digs in the Vikings' five-set win over Grand Canyon on Sept. 10. Overall, the Vikings' balance this season has them ranked in the Big Sky in both kills per set (13.1) and assists per set (12.0).
 

FORMATION CHANGE

Teniyah Leuluai and Ally Wada orchestrated the Vikings' 6-2 formation to perfection last Saturday against Weber State, as both setters recorded double-doubles in the match. Leuluai led the Vikings with 22 assists while setting a new career high with 10 digs. Wada, meanwhile, finished with 19 assists and 11 digs to record her 11th double-double of the season. The Vikings have played in a 6-2 formation for the majority of the Big Sky schedule now, though they've also shown a 5-1 at times. The offense has seemed to hum no matter the formation, as the Vikings average 13.8 kills and 12.7 assists per set in Big Sky play while hitting .218. Wada and Leuluai have both contributed to that from the setter spot, as they average 7.30 and 4.64 assists per set, respectively, against Big Sky opponents. The Vikings also have five different players averaging at least two kills per set in Big Sky play, between Makayla Lewis (3.50 k/s), Parker Webb (2.75 k/s), Gabby Hollins (2.61 k/s), Zoe McBride (2.16 k/s) and Maddy Reeb (2.15 k/s).
 

ELLIE SNOOK STANDS ALONE

Ellie Snook joined elite company within the Viking program when she was named the Big Sky Conference Libero of the Year last season. Snook wrote her name next to Kasimira Clark (2012, 2013) and Tasha Bojanic (2017) as fellow honorees, giving the Vikings' program four recipients over the past nine seasons. But within this season, Snook remains in a company by herself as she holds a commanding lead within the Big Sky Conference for digs per set while also ranking eighth in the NCAA in the category. Snook averages 5.47 digs per set, close to 1.5 digs per set more than the No. 2-ranked player in the conference, Montana's Sarina Moreno at 4.07. Snook's 5.47 digs per set stand equal to the single-season record she set as a freshman in 2019, and Snook could be poised for more records this season. After recording 12 aces over the Vikings' last three matches, the junior libero ranks third in the Big Sky and 38th in the NCAA with 0.44 aces per set, an average that would mark a single-season record during the 25-point scoring format if the season ended today. Snook's 37 total aces this season are also nine away from matching Kaeli Patton's record of 46 from the 2012 season.
 

MAKAYLA LEWIS, FROM SPARTAN TO VIKING

A transfer from San Jose State before the season, Makayla Lewis has made a seamless transition from being a Spartan to a Viking. Lewis averaged over four kills a set during the first two weekends of Big Sky play, and has led the Vikings in kills in eight of their 12 Big Sky matches. Lewis ranks third in the Big Sky with 3.50 kills per set in conference matches, when she's also been averaging 2.84 digs per set. Lewis' emergence has coincided with the Vikings' turn of fortune after their first five matches of the season. Of Lewis' 255 kills this season, 237 of them have come since the start of the PDX Classic on Sept. 9, when the Vikings have won 15 of their 18 matches. One of Lewis' best matches came last Saturday in the Vikings' win over Weber State. Lewis finished with 15 kills on .229 hitting while setting a new career high with 21 digs in the match. That marked the ninth double-double of the season for Lewis, who ranks second on the team in the category. Lewis also helped lead the Vikings to their best team hitting percentage since 2016, as she recorded a match-high 14 kills on .333 hitting while the Vikings hit .398 as a team against Idaho on Sept. 30. Lewis set a career high with 25 kills in the Vikings' five-set win over Grand Canyon, as she hit .302 while adding 12 digs. Lewis also had 19 kills on .333 hitting in the Vikings' four-set win over cross-town rival University of Portland on Sept. 9. 
 

WEBB SLINGER

With apologies to Peter Parker, the Spider-Verse doesn't appeal to us nearly as much as the Parker Webb-Verse. And this season, it appears we've all been in the Parker Webb-verse. Webb ranks seventh in the Big Sky with 3.19 kills per set, and is fresh off her best match since the Vikings' win at Montana State on Oct. 16. Webb recorded 16 kills on .368 hitting against Weber State last Saturday, and set a new season with six blocks in the match. Webb also had 16 kills on .300 hitting against Montana State, when she added 12 digs for her fourth double-double of the season. Webb showcased a new level for herself at the Les Schwab Rose City Showdown from Sept. 17-19. There, Webb averaged 4.67 kills, 2.33 digs, 0.92 blocks, 0.42 aces and 5.58 points per set while hitting .385. Those numbers earned her Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week honors, the second time in her career she has been so honored. Additionally, Webb was at her best in the Vikings' first two five-set wins this season. Webb helped the Vikings hand Grand Canyon its first loss of the season on Sept. 10, recording 22 kills on .383 hitting to go with 14 digs. Webb then topped that with 23 kills on .360 hitting and 15 digs in the team's five-set win over North Dakota State on Sept. 18, a match in which the Vikings erased an 0-2 deficit for the first time since 2016.
 

A WHOLE LOTTA WADA

Senior Ally Wada has been a walking double-double since arriving in Portland from San Francisco before last season. Wada had 11 double-doubles in 17 matches last season, and just recorded her 11th double-double of this season with 19 assists and 11 digs in the Vikings' 3-1 win over Weber State last Saturday. Double-double career records at Portland State only date back to 2005, but Wada passed Jaklyn Wheeler (2012-13) for ninth all-time with her 22nd career double-double against the Wildcats. It's no coincidence, then, that the Vikings are 11-0 when Wada records a double-double, with 10 of those coming in the Vikings' last 18 matches, a stretch in which the Vikings are 15-3 as a team. Behind Wada, the Vikings have hit .218 against conference opponents, a mark that ranks them fourth in the conference within Big Sky play. That's in stark contrast to how the Vikings started the year, as they ranked last in the Big Sky while hitting just .084 through their first five matches. Wada's best match came in the Vikings' five-set win over Grand Canyon on Sept. 10. Wada set a new career high with 62 assists against the Lopes, 11 of which came as the Vikings recorded 14 kills in the fifth set. Wada now ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 8.06 assists per set for the season, while she's helped the Vikings jump to second in the conference in both kills per set (13.1) and assists per set (12.0).
 

NO LONGER A MCBRIDESMAID, NOW A MCBRIDE

At the PDX Classic on Sept. 9-11, Zoe McBride recorded only one kill in seven sets, as she played sparingly due to lack of production. Head coach Michael Seemann said McBride did not accept that of herself, however, and responded with a great week of practice in the week that followed. She hasn't looked back sense. McBride has been in form over the Vikings' last three matches, as she's been a stat away from a double-double in the Vikings' matches against Northern Colorado (Oct. 23), Idaho State (Oct. 28) and Weber State (Oct. 30). Additionally, in the very next weekend after the PDX Classic, McBride recorded three straight double-doubles as the Vikings went 3-0 at their second home tournament, the Les Schwab Rose City Showdown. Then against Idaho on Sept. 30, McBride put together her most efficient match of the season to date while leading the Vikings to a three-set sweep of the Vandals. McBride totaled 11 kills on 19 swings without committing an attack error, giving her a .579 hitting percentage. McBride also tied Ashleigh Barto for the team lead with 14 kills against Montana on Oct. 14, while adding 11 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. McBride also put together a big match in the Vikings' 3-1 win over Gonzaga on Sept. 19, when she set season highs for kills (15) and digs (19).
 

YOUNG NO MORE

The Vikings have more upperclassmen (10) than underclassmen (6) this season for the first time since 2018. The team has been developing its young players over the past two seasons, and now has as many fifth-year seniors (3 – Genevieve Florig, Maddy Reeb, Parker Webb) as they do true freshmen (3 – Morgan Halady, Teniyah Leuluai, Lily Snook). It's a far cry from where the Vikings' roster was two years ago, when the team featured seven freshmen and nine underclassmen on their 12-player roster.
 

DIVISION I TRANSFERS

The Vikings have added six Division I transfers in the past two seasons. Zoe McBride (Morgan State), Megan Sester (Cal Baptist) and Ally Wada (San Francisco) joined the Vikings before last season, while Genevieve Florig (UCONN), Makayla Lewis (San Jose State) and Sydney Rabe (UW Green Bay) joined the Vikings before this season. McBride and Wada finished with four and 11 double-doubles, respectively, in the team's shortened 2021 winter season. Lewis, meanwhile, was the only Viking to finish with at least eight kills, four blocks and 10 digs in the team's 5-0 exhibition win over Central Washington Monday.
 

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS

Big Sky coaches picked the Vikings to finish sixth in the conference before the season. If that were to come to fruition, it would mark the Vikings' highest finish within the conference since 2017, when they placed fourth. A sixth-place finish in the Big Sky would also see the Vikings return to the Big Sky tournament for the first time since 2017, when they made it to the conference semifinals before losing to regular-season champion and host Sacramento State.
 

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

Oct. 30, 2021, Portland State 3, Weber State 1: The Vikings erased a 34-32 loss in the first set to beat Weber State in a match that pitted the teams ranked first and second in the Big Sky Conference against each other. The Vikings moved into a tie with the Wildcats for first after the win, which was the Vikings' first over the Wildcats since 2017.
Oct. 23, 2021, Portland State 3, Northern Colorado 1: The Vikings recorded their first win over Northern Colorado since 2017, and only their second win over the Bears since 2013. What's more, the win broke a tie with the Bears for second in the Big Sky standings, and gave the Vikings the tiebreaker over the Bears this season.
Oct. 16, 2021, Portland State 3, Montana State 1: The Vikings saved five set points while winning the first set, 34-32, then saved another set point while winning the third set, 27-25. The 34-32 first set was the longest set the Vikings have played since a 34-32 third-set victory in another match against the Bobcats on Oct. 24, 2015. The win over Montana State marked the Vikings' first road win over the Bobcats since 2017, and completed the Vikings' first road sweep of the Montana schools since 2013.
Oct. 14, 2021, Portland State 3, Montana 2: The Vikings erased a 2-1 deficit to beat the Grizzlies in five sets, recording their first road win at Montana since 2016 in the process. 
Oct. 9, 2021, Portland State 3, Northern Arizona 1: The Vikings erased a first-set loss to come back and win for the fifth time this season. The fact that it came against NAU, a team that had beaten the Vikings in 14 of their previous 16 meetings, made it all the more impressive.
Oct. 7, 2021, Portland State 3, Southern Utah 0: A third straight sweep extended the Vikings' streak of set victories to 12, going back to the second set against Idaho State on Sept. 25.
Oct. 1, 2021, Portland State 3, Eastern Washington 0: The Vikings completed their first Big Sky road sweep since 2017 with a 3-0 sweep of Eastern Washington. 
Sept. 30, 2021, Portland State 3, Idaho 0: The Vikings hit .398 for their best hitting percentage in a match since they hit .432 in a three-set win over Montana State on Sept. 29, 2016. Three different players recorded at least 10 kills while also hitting over .333. Zoe McBride and Maddy Reeb totaled 11 and 10 kills, respectively, while both hit north of .500 at .579 and .529.
Sept. 25, 2021, Portland State 3, Idaho State 1: The Vikings overcame a first-set loss to beat the Bengals in four sets. Out of seven wins so far this season, four have come in matches where the Vikings dropped the opening set.
Sept. 19, 2021, Portland State 3, Gonzaga 1: The Vikings overcame late deficits in the first and third sets to beat the Zags in four. The Vikings trailed by at least five points in every set that they won. The Vikings won 11 of the final 15 points in the first set after falling behind 19-14. The Vikings then won 12 of the final 14 points in the third set after trailing 21-13. In the fourth set, the Vikings won 16 of the final 20 points to run away with it after Gonzaga led 10-5 early. 
Sept. 18, 2021, Portland State 3, North Dakota State 2: The Vikings overcame an 0-2 deficit while reverse sweeping the Bison to win in five sets. It was the first time the Vikings have come back to win after losing the first two sets since doing it against Utah State on Sept. 8, 2016.
Sept. 17, 2021, Portland State 3, North Dakota State 0: The Vikings hit a seasonal-best .312 against the Bison, who came into the match having won four straight, including a 3-1 win over Cal out of the Pac-12. The Vikings hadn't topped .300 hitting in a match since their 2019 season opener.
Sept. 10, 2021, Portland State 3, Grand Canyon 2: The Vikings handed Grand Canyon, which entered the match 7-0, its first loss of the season while winning in five sets. Makayla Lewis and Parker Webb became the first Viking teammates to record 20+ kills in the same match since Pati Anae and Eva Linden each had 21 kills against Montana State on Oct. 24, 2015. Those two were also part of four Vikings who finished with double-doubles in the match, only the second time that's happened since 2010, and the first time since 2019.
Sept. 9, 2021, Portland State 3, Portland 1: The Vikings beat their cross-town rival in the Pilots, breaking open a match that had been tied 1-1 and 14-all in the third set. The Vikings won 11 of the final 14 points of the third set, then dominated the fourth set, 25-7. 
Aug. 28, 2021, Portland State 3, Santa Clara 1: Ellie Snook set a new four-set career high with 30 digs as the Vikings overcame a first-set loss to beat the Broncos in four sets. Snook had 14 digs in the crucial third set alone. Ally Wada was named to the Oregon Invitational All-Tournament Team after she finished with 33 assists and 17 digs in the match.