SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Portland State volleyball team simply ran out of time Friday.
 
The Vikings put together a complete performance in the third set against Sacramento State after falling behind 2-0 early in the match. The Vikings maintained that level in the fourth set, using a 4-1 run late to tie it at 22-22. The Hornets claimed the final momentum swing, however, closing out the match in four sets (25-20, 25-21, 20-25, 25-23).
 
The late comeback wasn't enough for the Vikings Friday, but it should give the team confidence heading into tomorrow's rematch with the Hornets.
 
"We started earning net points in the third and fourth sets, and influencing their attackers. If we execute offensively with a few less unforced errors, we will put ourselves in a position to win tomorrow," Portland State head coach Michael Seemann said afterwards.
 
Zoe McBride and Megan Sester combined for 11 of the Vikings' 18 kills in their 25-20 victory in the third set. The pair recorded back-to-back kills to give the Vikings an 18-14 lead in the middle of the third set, while McBride closed out the set with kills on the Vikings' final two points in the frame.
 
McBride played well throughout Friday's match, finishing with season highs for kills (17) and digs (20). McBride now has four double-doubles in the Vikings' past five matches, and is averaging 2.76 kills and 3.57 digs per set during that stretch.
 
Sester had a slower start to the match, recording four errors on her first four attempts, but finished strong with nine of her 12 kills coming in the last two sets of the match. Sester's 12 kills marked her highest total in a match since she had 14 against Northern Colorado on Feb. 16.
 
McBride and Sester also combined for eight of the team's 14 kills in the fourth set, when Parker Webb and Julia Haynie chipped in three each as well.
 
Webb followed two straight kills from McBride with one of her own to complete a 4-0 PSU run that tied the set up again at 14-14. Another kill from McBride put the Vikings up 17-16 later in the fourth. The Hornets answered with five straight points to go up 21-17, but McBride kickstarted a 5-1 run with another kill to tie the set up again at 22-22.
 
However, the Hornets won the next two points to earn two match points at 24-22. Sester erased one match point with her final kill of the night, but the Hornets converted on their second attempt to close out the match.
 
Webb played steady throughout Friday's match, recording at least three kills in each set while finishing with 13 on .286 hitting to go with 12 digs. Webb, like McBride, has four double-doubles in the team's past five matches, and is averaging 3.19 kills and 2.71 digs per set while hitting .303 during that stretch.
 
Haynie also had her strongest offensive match since the Vikings' first match at Montana State on Feb. 27, finishing with nine kills on .412 hitting.
 
Junior setter Ally Wada, meanwhile, recorded her most assists since posting back-to-back 50-assist matches against Eastern Washington on Feb. 8 and Northern Colorado on Feb. 15. Wada finished with 48 assists to go with 11 digs, giving her a team-leading ninth double-double on the season.
 
Freshman middle blocker Ashleigh Barto led all players with six blocks, three of which came in the fourth set of the match. Barto, like Sester, was another Viking who found her way into Friday's match after a slow start. The Vikings didn't record any blocks in the first set, but then had eight over the final three sets, with Barto leading the way.
 
The Vikings will hope to start Saturday's rematch in the form in which they ended Friday. If they do that, then as Seemann said, they will give themselves a chance to win.
 
First serve between the Vikings and Hornets Saturday is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
Match Notes: The Vikings fell to 23-48 all-time against the Hornets after Friday's loss…The Hornets are 7-0 at The Nest after Friday, while the Vikings haven't won at the Hornets' home facility since Oct. 18, 2014…Sophomore libero Ellie Snook matched McBride with 20 digs to lead the Vikings.