CHENEY, Wash. — The Portland State volleyball team didn't mind going to five sets so much Monday as the Vikings erased a 2-0 deficit to force a second straight fifth set against Eastern Washington at Reese Court. The end result was the same as Sunday, however, as the Eagles won the fifth to top the Vikings, 3-2 (26-24, 25-19, 14-25, 23-25, 15-12).
 
The Vikings (1-5, 0-4 Big Sky) may see some long-term benefits from Monday's match despite the loss, as the team saw things click together while mounting their comeback in the third and fourth sets. The Vikings posted their most decisive win in any set this season in the third, winning 25-14 while outhitting the Eagles .303-to-.068.
 
What's more, the Viking offense saw three players record 14 or more kills for the first time this season. Jasmine Powell, Megan Sester and Parker Webb all had standout matches for the Vikings, recording 18, 17 and 14 kills, respectively. Powell's 18 kills came as part of her second straight double-double, as she added 13 digs Monday after finishing with 17 kills and 23 digs Sunday. Sester, meanwhile, set a new season high with 17 kills, while Webb recorded her first double-double of the season with 14 kills and 15 digs.
 
Sester broke out for the Vikings this weekend, as she also had nine kills Sunday after subbing in late in the second set. Sester had only appeared in one match before this weekend, but posted 26 total kills across both matches while averaging 2.89 kills per set against the Eagles.
 
"We controlled this weekend in several statistical categories. We need to continue to learn how to win, but we can be proud of our effort today, fighting back after being down two sets," head coach Michael Seemann said afterward.
 
"We have seen this team grow each time we take the floor, and I can see that the future looks very bright for this program. We will get back to work, and we're looking forward to competing again on our home floor."
 
Sester had two kills in the Vikings' dominant third set, making her one of five Vikings with multiple kills in the frame. Webb led the Vikings with four kills in the third, while Powell added three of her own. The Vikings also limited their errors in the third set – committing only three in the frame – and didn't lead by less than five points at any point after taking an 8-2 lead early.
 
The fourth set represented a much tighter win for the Vikings, with Sester and Webb again dominating for the Vikings. Sester led the way with six kills in the frame, while Webb played her best set of the match with five kills and six digs. Four of Sester's six kills came in the first 14 points for the Vikings, while Webb took over from there, recording four of her five kills in the team's final 11 points. Webb had two kills late to give the Vikings leads of 23-22 and 24-23, before an EWU attack error sealed the set for the Vikings.
 
At the same the Viking offense picked up its play in the third and fourth sets, the Vikings also played their best defense of the match in those sets while mounting their comeback. Four different Vikings had three or more digs in both the third and fourth sets, while the Vikings held the Eagles to hitting percentage of .068 and .111, respectively, in those sets.
 
The Vikings outhit the Eagles .221-to-.180 overall Monday, and also out-dug (85-to-79) and out-blocked (11.0-to-4.0) Eastern Washington in the match.
 
The Eagles (3-4, 2-4 Big Sky) still recovered enough momentum to take the fifth set from the Vikings. Powell staked the Vikings out to an early 6-4 lead behind two kills and a block, but the Eagles responded with a 6-1 run to take a 10-7 lead. The Vikings couldn't string more than two points in a row at any point after that, as the Eagles traded points with the Vikings until closing them out.
 
The Vikings and Eagles also traded points late in the first set, after the Eagles took a 20-15 lead. The Vikings finally started stringing points together late when they saved four straight set points to tie it at 24-24. Powell had two kills in the 4-0 run to tie the set, and combined with freshman Ashleigh Barto for a block, as well. The Eagles won the next two points after the Vikings tied it up, however, taking the first set, 26-24.
 
The Eagles ran away from the Vikings late in the second set, turning a 13-13 tie into a seven-point lead with a 10-3 run that all-but-sealed the set for the Eagles.
 
Sophomore middle blocker Julia Haynie added six kills for the Vikings to place her fourth on the team behind Powell, Sester and Webb. Barto also had four kills to go with four blocks and a career-high three service aces.
 
Freshman Gabby Hollins, who came into the weekend leading the Vikings with 3.00 kills per set, tied her career high with 17 digs as she subbed in to play in the back row for the Vikings Monday. Sophomore Ellie Snook led all Vikings with 21 digs, while junior setter Ally Wada added 15 digs to go with a season-high 56 assists. Wada now has five straight double-doubles to start her Portland State career.
 
The Vikings return to action Sunday, Feb. 14, when they host defending-champion Northern Colorado for the first of two straight at Viking Pavilion. First serve between the Vikings and Bears on Sunday is scheduled for 1 p.m. (PT).
 
Match Notes: The Vikings fell to 32-29 all time against Eastern Washington after Monday…The Vikings had won six straight matches against the Eagles before Sunday's loss…The Vikings have recorded 80 or more digs in every match so far this season…Monday marked the Vikings' fifth five-set match this season, the most the program has ever played through their first six matches of a season…The program record for five-set matches is 11, set during the 2010 season.