PORTLAND, Ore. — Storybook endings on Senior Night can't happen every year. Such was the case for the Portland State volleyball team Saturday, as Eastern Washington played spoiler, beating the Vikings 3-1 (25-21, 19-25, 25-21, 25-17) at Viking Pavilion.
 
The Vikings (15-11, 10-5 Big Sky) erased large deficits in the first and third sets, only to see the Eagles (10-16, 5-9 Big Sky) respond late and pull each of them out.
 
The Vikings trailed 16-9 in the first set, but then won nine of the next 11 points to tie things up at 18-all. But rather than surge past the Eagles, the teams stayed level until the Eagles won five of the final six points to take the set.
 
They didn't mess about in the second set. The Vikings firmly took control with a 7-1 run that put them up seven at 21-14. Parker Webb and Sophia Meyers each had three kills during the run, while the other point came on the second ace of the match for setter Madison Friebel. Webb finished with five kills on only seven swings in the second set, while the set was by far the Vikings' best offensive performance of the night as they finished with 15 kills on .333 hitting as a team.
 
The Eagles got out to a 13-8 lead in the third set, and it was still a four-point advantage at 16-12 when the Vikings mounted another comeback. Three straight points got the Vikings back within one at 16-15, with Friebel contributing a kill and a block assist during the run. But again, the Vikings never got over hump. Instead, they traded points with the Eagles until Eastern Washington closed things out with three straight points at the end of the set.
 
The fourth set saw the Eagles keep the momentum throughout. They scored the first five points, while a 6-1 run a little while later saw them stretch their lead to 13-5. The Vikings never got closer than five points the rest of the way.
 
Errors cost the Vikings throughout the match. Six of the Eagles' first nine points in the match came on PSU attacking errors, while the Vikings finished with 10 attack errors in the first set alone. Thirteen service errors throughout the match also killed any chance of a comeback for the Vikings.
 
The errors helped the Eagles make up other deficits statistically. The Vikings out-killed (53-to-48) and out-dug (66-to-56) the Eagles, but the Eagles out-hit the Vikings .219-to-.207. The .200 mark has been a bugaboo for the Vikings this season. They are 15-2 when they hold opponents to under .200 hitting, but they're now 0-9 when their opponent hits above .200 after Eastern Washington did Saturday.
 
Several Vikings still put together quality matches. Webb, playing in what might be her last match at Viking Pavilion after a six-year career, recorded 17 kills on .517 hitting to lead the Vikings offensively. Meyers followed with 13 kills to go with eight digs, while Makayla Lewis – another one possibly playing her final match at Viking Pavilion – recorded a double-double of 10 kills and 13 digs.
 
Friebel also recorded a double-double with 42 assists and 12 digs to go with three kills, two aces and two blocks.
 
Libero Ellie Snook led all players with 25 digs to go with eight assists.
 
The Vikings will now conclude their regular season against Sacramento State Friday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. The Big Sky tournament follows the next week over Thanksgiving weekend.
 
Match Notes: The Vikings still lead the all-time series between them and the Eagles, 34-30…Saturday marks the Vikings' first loss on Senior Night since 2018…Webb, Meyers and Lewis all finished in double figures for kills for the ninth time out of 15 Big Sky matches.