CEDAR CITY, Utah — A narrow loss after a strong comeback in the first set put the Portland State volleyball team off on a bad foot Monday night, as they fell to Southern Utah, 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-19), for the second straight night at America First Event Center.
 
The Vikings erased a 15-10 deficit in the first set with a 10-3 run, taking a 20-18 lead that put them five points away from a 1-0 lead. Parker Webb posted a kill and a service ace back-to-back during the run, while Megan Sester and Ashleigh Barto blocked SUU's Bridget Triplett for the Vikings' 20th point of the set. The Thunderbirds (4-5, 4-4 Big Sky) bounced back, however, winning six of the final eight points to steal the opening set from the Vikings (1-9, 0-8 Big Sky).
 
A first-set win would have boosted the Vikings' confidence, as it would have marked a contrast from Monday when the Thunderbirds won the first two sets as part of a 3-1 win. Those tough-luck moments have plagued the Vikings so far this season, as the Vikings have played better than their record would appear.
 
"We committed to growth tonight. We took a huge step forward tonight," head coach Michael Seemann said after the match. "We got great contributions at each position off the bench. Every player on our team can be proud of our effort and fight tonight."
 
The Vikings remain behind every other Big Sky Conference team training wise, which has been reflected in their early season struggles. The Vikings didn't practice 6-on-6 practices until late December, and didn't total more than 10 6-on-6 practices until the first week of February. By then, the Vikings had already played four matches, forcing them to play catchup with the rest of the conference.
 
"This is literally week seven for us after a year off," Seemann said. "I like the direction this team is going."
 
Serve receive remains a sore spot for the Vikings, as the Thunderbirds recorded 12 aces Monday after eight Sunday. On the positive side, the Vikings served tougher themselves, countering the Thunderbirds' 12 aces with seven of their own – their second highest total in a match this season. The Viking defense also the Thunderbirds to only 29 kills Monday – the lowest total of any Portland State opponent this season. 
 
The Vikings caught the error bug at times on offensive, however, as they hit .081 Monday with 26 errors. That hindered the Vikings, who actually out-killed the Thunderbirds 34-to-29. It's the fourth time this season the Vikings have out-killed their opponent but lost.
 
The Thunderbirds didn't top 10 kills in either the first or third sets, while the Vikings out-killed them in both sets. 
 
Sester continues to be the Vikings' first option offensively, as she led the team in kills for the fourth straight match with nine Monday. Barto followed Sester with six kills out of the middle blocker position, and led the Vikings with four blocks. Julia Haynie and Maddy Reeb followed with five kills each.
 
The Vikings continue on the road next weekend, as they head to Montana State for back-to-back matches Saturday, Feb. 27 and Sunday, Feb. 28. Both matches will start at 4 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. MT.
 
Match Notes: The Vikings fell to 12-6 all-time against Southern Utah after Monday's loss…The Thunderbirds have won three matches in a row against the Vikings for the first time in the series history…Ellie Snook needs only 14 more digs after Monday to enter the career top 10 at Portland State during the Division I era.