FIRST SERVE

The Portland State volleyball team hits the road for the first time in its unique 2021 winter schedule, as the Vikings head to Eastern Washington for back-to-back matches against the Eagles this coming Sunday and Monday.
 
Both the Vikings and Eagles have dug the ball well to start the season, meaning whichever team can be more terminal in its attack will likely come out ahead. The Vikings have had a bit of a Jekyll-and-Hyde offense so far this season, looking in-rhythm at times, and then error-prone at other times.
 
The Vikings saw both extremes last weekend against Northern Arizona. In Saturday's match, the Vikings out-hit (.210-to-.208) and out-killed (57-to-45) the Lumberjacks despite falling in five sets. The Vikings got incrementally better from the first to fourth sets of that match, culminating in the fourth being the team's best set of the season to date. The Vikings hit .406 (15-2-32) in the fourth set, with six different Vikings recording a kill. The Vikings lost that rhythm in the fifth set, however, and that carried into Sunday's match, when the Vikings were out-hit .191-to-.118.
 
The same inconsistency was true on the first weekend of the season, as the Vikings recorded 73 kills in their 3-2 win over Idaho on Jan. 24 – the team's most kills in a match since they had 75 against Colorado on Aug. 27, 2016. The Vikings followed up that match by hitting a season-low .080 the following day against the Vandals, however.
 
The fact that Vikings had only a handful of 6-on-6 practices under their belts before last week easily explains that inconsistency. The Vikings didn't return to full training until late December, and then had to train in pods due to COVID-19 contact tracing until last week.
 
The hope for the Vikings is that the team will continue to find its rhythm offensively as the season wears on. In the meantime, the Vikings will rely on their digging abilities, which have kept them matches despite the hot or cold runs of the team's offense. The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 29th in the nation with 17.7 digs per set, and have recorded at least 80 digs in all four matches so far this season. Six different Vikings average at least 2.5 digs per set, led by sophomore libero Ellie Snook, who leads the conference while ranking 33rd in the nation with 5.26 digs per set individually. Besides Snook, Zoe McBride (2.83), Ally Wada (2.77), Maddy Reeb (2.60), Jasmine Powell (2.58) and Gabby Hollins (2.58) all also average over 2.5 digs per set.
 
Thanks to that depth, the Vikings also rank third in the Big Sky and 53rd in the nation with an opponent hitting percentage of .162.
 
The Eagles have also used their defense to stay in matches, as they rank fourth in the Big Sky with 15.3 digs per set. Senior libero Catelyn Linke ranks second only to the Vikings' Snook within in the conference with 4.60 digs per set individually.
 
The Eagles are coming off a heartbreaker in their last match, as they led defending-Big-Sky-Champion Northern Colorado two-sets-to-one and 20-11 in the fourth set before falling in five. The Bears erased the Eagles' big fourth-set lead with an 11-2 run, then fought off three match points before taking the fourth, 27-25. The Bears won the fifth set in extra points, as well, converting on their second match point to win, 16-14.
 
The Eagles opened their season with a pair of 3-1 losses to Weber State the previous weekend, and also lost their first match against the Bears 3-1 before falling in five sets Monday. The Eagles stepped out of Big Sky play for a non-conference match against NCAA Division II Northwest Nazarene in the middle of last week, winning 3-0 at home.
 
The Eagles added 10 newcomers over the offseason between six freshmen and four transfers. One of the Eagles' transfers – Lindsey Russell from Spokane Falls CC – has started at setter and ranks fifth in the Big Sky with 8.50 assists per set. Sophomore Renata Lopez Morales ranks ninth in the Big Sky for hitting percentage (.311), though she's not one of the four Eagles who average at least two kills per set. Ehu Keala leads the Eagles with 2.25 kills per set, while Maya McClellan (2.13), Ashlyn Blotzer (2.10) and Katie Fleck (2.00) all also average over two kills a set.
 
No player on the Eagles matches the Vikings' Hollins offensively, however, as the Viking freshman ranks tied for 10th with 3.00 kills per set. Hollins had posted three straight double-doubles to start her Viking career before missing out on a double-double in the Vikings' most recent match.
 
Besides Hollins, Powell ranks second on the team with 2.58 kills per set, while Parker Webb averages 2.23. Reeb ranks fourth on the team with 1.90 kills per set despite playing part of her time at setter.
 
The Vikings will need those players to be terminal in their attack if they're able to get back on the right side of the win column this weekend against the Eagles. Both matches start at 2 p.m. (PT).
 

MATCH NOTES: PORTLAND STATE (1-3, 0-2) vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON (1-4, 0-4)

LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
MATCH #1: Sunday, Feb. 7, 2 p.m., Cheney, Wash. (Reese Court)
MATCH #2: Monday, Feb. 8, 2 p.m., Cheney, Wash. (Reese Court)
SCOUTING EASTERN WASHINGTON: The Eastern Washington Eagles took a two-sets-to-one lead over defending Big Sky champion Northern Colorado Monday, but ended up falling in five as the Bears won in extra points in the fourth and fifth sets. The Eagles led 20-11 in the fourth set – five points from victory – when the Bears mounted their comeback. The Bears tied the fourth set with an 11-2 run that made it 22-22. The Eagles recovered to earn three match points, but the Bears fought them all off to take the fourth set, 27-25. Neither team led by more than two points in the fifth set before the Bears converted on their second match point to win, 16-14. Overall, the Eagles have lost their four Big Sky matches so far between a pair of 3-1 losses to Weber State, and a 3-1 loss to the Bears before their five-set heartbreaker Monday. The Eagles also played a non-conference match against NCAA Division II Northwest Nazarene, which they beat 3-0 at home on Jan. 27. The Eagles returned four starters and nine letterwinners off last year's team that went 6-24 overall and 4-14 in Big Sky play. The Eagles added 10 newcomers between six freshmen and four transfers over the offseason. One of the Eagles' transfers – Lindsey Russell from Spokane Falls CC – has started at setter and ranks fifth in the Big Sky with 8.50 assists per set. Sophomore Renata Lopez Morales ranks ninth in the Big Sky for hitting percentage (.311), though she's not one of the four Eagles who average at least two kills per set. Ehu Keala leads the Eagles with 2.25 kills per set, while Maya McClellan (2.13), Ashlyn Blotzer (2.10) and Katie Fleck (2.00) all also average over two kills a set. Catelyn Linke, meanwhile, ranks second only to the Vikings' Ellie Snook within in the Big Sky with 4.60 digs per set. As a team, the Eagles rank fourth in the Big Sky with 15.3 digs per set, as three other Eagles besides Linke average over 2.5 individually between Alisha Straw (2.67), Russell (2.63) and Keala (2.56).
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Eagles, 32-27. The Vikings have won six in a row against the Eagles, and 18 of their last 19 matches dating back to 2008. Four of the Vikings' last six wins against the Eagles have gone past three sets, however, including two five-set matches since 2016.
 

STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 29th in the nation with 17.7 digs per set through their first four matches of the season. The Vikings posted at least 80 digs in every match so far.
• Six different Vikings average at least 2.5 digs per set in Ellie Snook (5.26), Zoe McBride (2.83), Ally Wada (2.77), Maddy Reeb (2.60), Jasmine Powell (2.58) and Gabby Hollins (2.58).
• Ellie Snook leads the Big Sky and ranks 33rd in the nation with 5.26 digs per set so far this season.
• The Vikings rank third in the Big Sky and 53rd in the nation with an opponent hitting percentage of .162. No Viking opponent has hit better than .208 through four matches this season.
• The Vikings started the season with three straight five-set matches for the first time in program history. The Vikings had twice started the season with two straight five-set matches between 2008 and 2012, but had never played three straight to open a season.
• Gabby Hollins opened her Viking career with three straight double-doubles. Hollins ranks tied for 10th in the Big Sky with 3.00 kills per set now, and also averages 2.58 digs per set
• Gabby Hollins set two PSU freshman records in her first-ever collegiate match, recording 23 kills in the Vikings' win over Idaho on Jan. 24. Hollins set the freshman record for most kills in a match, as well as the record for most kills in a Viking debut.
• Senior Maddy Reeb and junior Ally Wada have each played at setter so far this season, and both rank in the top 10 of the Big Sky for assists per set. Wada ranks seventh in the conference with 7.23 assists per set, while Reeb ranks eighth with 7.20. Wada has posted three straight double-doubles to open her Viking career, after missing the team's first match due to COVID-19 contact tracing protocols.
• Ellie Snook competed at the U.S. Women's National Team Open Tryouts that took place at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, Feb. 21-23, 2020. Three-time Olympic gold medalist and U.S. Olympic Hall of Famer Karch Kiraly led the tryouts.
• The Vikings added three Division I transfers over the offseason in Zoe McBride from Morgan State, Megan Sester from California Baptist, and Ally Wada from San Francisco. All three players started at their previous schools, and will join the Vikings as juniors.
• A season after the Vikings had seven freshmen and nine underclassmen among their 12 players, the Vikings will be much more experienced this season. The Vikings have six upperclassmen now – double what they had last season – while six of the seven players who were freshmen last season return as sophomores.
• The Vikings only got about a week's worth of 6-on-6 practices under their belts before the start of the season. The Vikings initially returned to 6-on-6 play in late December, but then moved to practicing in 4-5 player pods after a two-week quarantine.

 

THE VIKS ARE GOOD ON DEFENSE, YA DIG?

The Vikings' defense and passing has been a luxury for the team this season, as it's been the most consistent aspect of the team's game in an inconsistent season. The Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 29th in the nation with 17.7 digs per set, and have recorded at least 80 digs in all four matches so far this season. Six different Vikings average at least 2.5 digs per set, led by sophomore libero Ellie Snook, who leads the conference while ranking 33rd in the nation with 5.26 digs per set individually. Besides Snook, Zoe McBride (2.83), Ally Wada (2.77), Maddy Reeb (2.60), Jasmine Powell (2.58) and Gabby Hollins (2.58) all also average over 2.5 digs per set. On the back of that depth, the Vikings also rank third in the Big Sky and 53rd in the nation with an opponent hitting percentage of .162.
 

DEPTH ON OUTSIDE

Five different Vikings have recorded 10+ kills in a match through the first two weekends of the Vikings' season. For comparison's sake, the Vikings didn't have their fifth player record double-digit kills until their 23rd match of the season. Seven different Vikings average at least 1.00 kills per set, two more than last season when only five surpassed that benchmark. Overall, the Vikings rank fifth in the Big Sky with 11.7 kills per set, and rank fourth in the conference with 11.1 assists per set. Freshman Gabby Hollins leads the Vikings' outside with 3.00 kills per set, an average that ranks her tied for 10th in the Big Sky. Besides her, Jasmine Powell ranks second on the team with 2.58 kills per set, while Parker Webb averages 2.23. Senior Maddy Reeb ranks fourth on the team with 1.90 kills per set despite playing part of her time at setter.
 

SNOOK BACK FROM RECORD-SETTING FRESHMAN SEASON

Sophomore libero Ellie Snook has picked up right where she left off last season, and leads the Big Sky with 5.26 digs per set through the Vikings' first four matches of the season. Snook, who was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week following the opening weekend of the season, also ranks 33rd in the nation in digs per set. Snook is almost exactly at her average from last season, when she led all freshmen in the NCAA while setting a new Portland State single-season record with 5.47 digs per set. Snook was named to the All-Big Sky second team at the end of last season, making her the first Viking freshman to make the all-conference first or second teams since Hall of Famer Garyn Schlatter in 2010. Snook's offseason also included a tryout at the U.S. Women's National Team Open Tryouts that took place at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, Feb. 21-23, 2020. Three-time Olympic gold medalist and U.S. Olympic Hall of Famer Karch Kiraly led the tryouts.
 

HOLLINS' RECORD-BREAKING DEBUT

Those of us moving up from one stage to the next can only hope to do so as seamlessly as freshman Gabby Hollins. In the first three matches of her collegiate career, Hollins recorded a double-double each time. That streak finally snapped in the Vikings' second match against Northern Arizona last Sunday, but Hollins still ranks tied for 10th in the Big Sky with 3.00 kills per set while also averaging 2.58 digs per set. Hollins broke two different Portland State freshman records in her first-ever match for the Vikings. Hollins' 23 kills in the team's season opener marked the most kills by a Viking freshman (since at least 2010, when first-year records date back), as well as the most kills in a Viking debut. Hollins also posted her first 15-15 match last Saturday, when she recorded 18 kills and a career-high 17 digs against Northern Arizona.
 

THE SETTER QUESTION

Senior Maddy Reeb and junior transfer Ally Wada have both played at setter so far this season, and both players rank in the top 10 of the Big Sky for assists per set. Wada ranks seventh with 7.23 assists per set, while Reeb stands eighth at 7.20. Both players have also posted standout performances so far this season. Reeb recorded the first triple-double within the PSU program since Oct. 15, 2010, when she had 10 kills, 50 assists and 15 digs in the Vikings' 3-2 win over Idaho on Jan. 24. Her 15 digs set a new career high for her, while her 50 assists matched a career high. Wada, meanwhile, has posted three straight double-doubles in the three matches she's played for the Vikings. Wada's best match came in the team's first match against Northern Arizona on Jan. 30, when she had 40 assists and 14 digs, both season highs.
 

FINDING A RHYTHM

For all the positive potential the Vikings showed against Idaho, the team also showed signs of the lack of training they've had, especially compared to other teams in the Big Sky Conference. The Vikings went into the season with only a week's worth of 6-on-6 practices under their belt, making them the program with the least amount of pre-season training within the Big Sky Conference. That showed itself in some of the errors the Vikings committed, especially Monday when the Vikings hit .050 or less in four of the team's five sets.
 

DIVISION I TRANSFERS

The Vikings added three quality Division I transfers over the offseason in Zoe McBride from Morgan State, Megan Sester from California Baptist and Ally Wada from San Francisco. All three transfers were starters at their previous schools, where they played as freshmen and sophomores. McBride joins the Vikings after being named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Co-Player of the Year last season, when she led the MEAC with 4.89 kills per set and ranked in the top 10 nationally for attacks (6th), kills (8th), and points (9th) per set. Sester, meanwhile, had her best season at Cal Baptist as a freshman in 2018, when she made the Western Athletic Conference All-Freshman team while ranking eighth in the conference with 2.95 kills per set. Wada, finally, joined the Vikings in December from the University of San Francisco, where she started full-time as a sophomore. Wada ranked third in the West Coast Conference with 9.09 assists per set last season, and set a career high with 57 assists in a match against the Vikings' cross-town rival the University of Portland.
 

FRESHMEN

A season after the Vikings had seven freshmen join the team, the Vikings added only two this offseason in outside hitter Gabby Hollins and middle blocker Ashleigh Barto. Hollins comes to the Vikings out of Paloma Valley High School in Canyon Lake, Calif., where she was league MVP as a junior after leading her team to the state quarterfinals and CIF finals. Barto joined the Vikings out of Horizon High School in Phoenix, Ariz., where she was an all-region first-team selection while leading her team to a ninth-place finish at state as a senior.
 

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

Jan. 30, Northern Arizona 3, Portland State 2: The Vikings played their third straight five-set match to open the season, the first time that had happened in program history. Freshman Gabby Hollins recorded her third straight double-double to open the season, recording 18 kills and 17 digs.
Jan. 24, Portland State 3, Idaho 2: Freshman Gabby Hollins broke two PSU freshman records while recording 23 kills in the Vikings' win over Idaho Sunday. Hollins set the freshman record for most kills in a match, as well as the record for most kills in a Viking debut. Senior Maddy Reeb became the first Viking to record a triple-double since Garyn Schlatter on Oct. 15, 2010, with 10 kills, 50 assists and 15 digs in Sunday's win over the Vandals.