Complete match notes (PDF)
 

FIRST SERVE

The Portland State volleyball team won three straight matches before losing at Northern Colorado Saturday. Three straight home matches at Viking Pavilion over the next two weeks offer a chance to duplicate the win streak right away.
 
The home stand starts this weekend as the Vikings host Idaho Thursday and Eastern Washington Saturday, both at 7 p.m.
 
It's appropriate that the Vikings have a stretch at home. The calendar turning to November Wednesday means the Vikings are entering the home stretch of the season. Where better to play during the home stretch than at home?
 
Home matches are where the Vikings turned things around two weekends ago against the Montana schools. A sweep of Montana State and Montana kickstarted the team's recent three-match win streak. That included a reverse sweep of the Bobcats on Oct. 19 in which the Vikings saved four match points. A four-set win over Montana followed on Oct. 21 that included two set points saved in the critical third set.
 
All areas have improved for the Vikings over the past two weekends. Offensively, the Vikings are hitting .244 over their last four matches, a significant jump over the .153 the Vikings hit over the five matches that preceded this current stretch. The Vikings hit .319 – their second-best mark of the season – against Northern Arizona last Thursday, while they hit .288 against Montana.
 
Better distribution has helped lift the Vikings' efficiency numbers. The Vikings had five different players record at least seven kills against Montana, the first time they had seen that level of distribution all season. The team followed with four players in double figures against Northern Arizona last Thursday, which was also a first this season.
 
Middle blockers Ashleigh Barto and Lauryn Anderson have come alive offensively to help with the attack. Both were in double figures against NAU while both also hit over .500 against the Lumberjacks. Over the last four matches, Barto has averaged 2.50 kills per set on .418 hitting, while Anderson has averaged 2.00 kills per set on .527 hitting.
 
Right-side hitters Jasmine Powell and Kendra Duffey have also made an impact offensively of late. Powell set a season high with 10 kills on .471 hitting against NAU while she's averaging 1.71 kills per set on .291 hitting over the team's last four matches. Duffey has averaged 1.20 kills per set over the last two weekends, which included eight kills on .316 hitting against Montana.
 
The better distribution has allowed leading hitter Sophia Meyers to be at her best recently. Meyers was named the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week a week ago after posting a 20-20 match with 21 kills and 20 digs against Montana State, and then 17 kills, 12 digs and five aces against Montana. Meyers added a fifth straight double-double with 16 kills and 13 digs against NAU last Thursday, and still led the Vikings with 11 kills on .278 hitting Saturday against Northern Colorado despite being held without a double-double for the first time since Oct. 7.
 
It hasn't just been the offense recently, though. The Vikings had double-digit blocks in all three of their recent wins. They had 13.0 against Montana State, 12.0 of which came after the first two sets of the match, then followed with a season-high 15.0 against Montana. The Vikings are averaging 2.75 blocks per set over their last four matches. Again, that's a massive difference over the five matches that preceded this recent stretch when the Vikings averaged only 1.67 blocks per set.
 
Multiple different players have contributed to the greater presence at the net. Barto and Anderson both average more than 1.00 blocks per set with 1.25 and 1.13, respectively. Duffey, meanwhile, has contributed 0.93 blocks per set from her right-side position.
 
The Vikings will want to see similar production from both their offense and defense this weekend against Idaho and Eastern Washington. The team split its road matches against the two teams earlier this season, losing a four-set match at Eastern Washington on Oct. 5, before rebounding with a 3-0 sweep of Idaho on Oct. 7.
 
It's the reverse schedule this weekend, as the Vikings host Idaho first on Thursday before the Eagles on Saturday.
 
The team's recent improvements will be especially important to carry over Saturday if the Vikings hope to get revenge on the Eagles. Eastern Washington is one of the best defensive teams within the Big Sky Conference, something the Eagles proved the last time they played the Vikings when they held PSU to .147 hitting behind 11.0 blocks at the net.
 
Winning the serve-and-pass game will fix a lot of that for the Vikings if they can do it Saturday. It will be no easy feat, as the Eagles lead the Big Sky with 1.78 aces per set, ranking them just ahead of the Vikings, who average 1.77 per set. The Eagles won the service game the last time they faced the Vikings, as they recorded 15 aces – six more than any other team against the Vikings this season – while the Vikings recorded only two aces themselves.
 
Two solid matches from the end line will go a long way, then. If nothing else, it'll kickstart the home stretch of the season on a positive note. And it helps that the home stretch is starting at home.
 

MATCH #1: PORTLAND STATE (13-9, 6-5) vs. IDAHO (1-22, 0-11)

LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Thursday, Nov. 2, 7 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
SCOUTING IDAHO: The Idaho Vandals have had a tough year so far in 2023. After going 1-2 at their home tournament to open the season, the Vandals have lost their last 20 matches in a row. That includes a 3-0 loss to the Vikings in Moscow on Oct. 5. The Vandals have lost all 11 Big Sky matches so far this season, with eight of those 11 losses coming in straight sets. Statistically, the Vandals rank ninth or 10th in the Big Sky in all major statistical categories. Individually, Aine Doty leads the Big Sky while ranking 49th in the NCAA with 4.57 digs per set. Offensively, Taryn Vrieling leads the Vandals with 2.67 kills per set. No other player averages more than 2.00 kills per set, though Taylor Brickey (1.80), Aubrey Nielson (1.76) and Zuzanna Wieczorek (1.65) are next on the list behind Vrieling. Vrieling also leads the Vandals with 0.25 aces per set, while Lacy Cox (0.24 SA/s) and Renata Lopez Morales (0.23 SA/s) are second and third on the team, respectively. Three different setters have split time for the Vandals between Keelyn Muell (5.33 a/s), Cox (4.71 a/s) and Natalia Wielgus (3.97 a/s). Lopez Morales leads the Vandals at the net with 0.64 blocks per set, while Emma Patterson ranks second on the team with 0.57 per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Vandals, 20-9. That includes a 3-0 road sweep over the Vandals on Oct. 7 earlier this season. The Vikings have won three straight matches in their series against the Vandals, with all three being 3-0 sweeps.
 

MATCH #2: PORTLAND STATE (13-9, 6-5) vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON (10-13, 4-7)

LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Saturday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
SCOUTING EASTERN WASHINGTON: The Eastern Washington Eagles recorded one of their best wins of the season last Thursday, beating Weber State in three sets at home. The Eagles hadn't beaten the Wildcats since 2016, a streak that included 11 straight losses. The win came about because of another standout defensive effort. The Eagles held the Wildcats to an opponent season-low negative-.037 hitting percentage. Defense has been a huge strength for the Eagles all season. The Eagles held the Vikings to .147 hitting behind 11.0 blocks in their earlier meeting this season, which the Eagles won in four sets on Oct. 5. Overall, the Eagles rank third in the Big Sky in both blocks per set (2.35) and opponent hitting percentage (.198). The strong defensive numbers have been helped by the Eagles' standout serving. That was the bigger piece of the Eagles' earlier win over the Vikings. The Eagles recorded 15 aces in that match, six more than any other opponent against the Vikings this season. The Eagles head into the weekend leading the Big Sky with 1.78 aces per set, an average that also ranks them 51st in the NCAA. Individually, Sage Brustad leads the Eagles offensively. She ranks fourth in the Big Sky in kills (3.49), aces (0.41) and points (4.18) per set. Besides Brustad, Kalista Lukovich ranks second on the team with 2.44 kills per set, while Bri Gunderson stands third on the team with 1.99 per set. Setter Kate Hatch ranks second on the team behind Brustad with 0.38 aces per set, while libero Makenna Collins stands third at 0.31 per set. Defensively, Gunderson and Tanai Jenkins rank sixth and eighth in the Big Sky, respectively, with 1.08 and 1.06 blocks per set. Sadie Bacon stands third on the team with 0.80 blocks per set, while Erin McInness ranks fourth with 0.71 per set. In the back row, Collins leads the Eagles with 4.05 digs per set, ranking her fifth in the Big Sky. Brustad led the Eagles with 15 kills the last time the Eagles played the Vikings. Collins led all players with 23 digs and four aces. Jenkins led the Eagles with seven blocks at the net while also chipping in seven kills.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Eagles, 35-31. The Eagles have won four of the last seven in the series, however, including a 3-1 win in Cheney, Wash., on Oct. 5 earlier this season. The Eagles won their last match at Viking Pavilion, too, which was another 3-1 victory on the Vikings' Senior Day last season.
 

STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings extended their win streak to three matches with a 3-1 defeat of Northern Arizona last Thursday, then fell in three sets to Northern Colorado Saturday.
• The Vikings hit .319 against the Lumberjacks Thursday, the team's second-best mark this season. The Vikings had four players finish with 10+ kills in the match, the first time they've had that level of distribution this season.
• Northern Colorado hit .316 against the Bears Saturday, the best mark for a Viking opponent this season. Five of the Vikings' last six opponents have hit above .200 against the Vikings.
• The Vikings had 11.0 blocks against Northern Arizona Thursday, the third straight match in which the Vikings recorded double-digit blocks at the time. Three different Vikings averaged more than 1.00 blocks per set during that stretch of matches. Ashleigh Barto averaged 1.38 blocks per set, while Lauryn Anderson (1.23) and Kendra Duffey (1.08) were also above 1.00 blocks per set.
• The Vikings' recent three-match win streak followed losses in four of their previous five matches. Better offense and better blocking contributed to the breakthrough. The Vikings hit .257 with 13.8 kills per set during their recent win streak, much better numbers (.153, 12.9 k/s) than during their five matches beforehand. The Vikings also averaged 3.00 blocks per set during their three-match win streak after averaging just 1.67 blocks per set in the five matches beforehand.
• The better distribution recently means the Vikings have incorporated their middle blockers more in the offense. In the Vikings' last four matches, Ashleigh Barto averages 2.50 kills per set on .418 hitting, while Lauryn Anderson is at 2.00 kills per set on .527 hitting.
• The Vikings recorded 10+ blocks in all three of their recent wins. They set season highs in back-to-back matches, recording 13.0 against Montana State on Oct. 19, then 15.0 against Montana on Oct. 21. The Vikings followed with 11.0 blocks against Northern Arizona last Thursday, before being held to 5.0 against Northern Colorado Saturday.
• Sophia Meyers has averaged 4.06 kills per set on .284 hitting over the team's last four matches. She's also averaging 3.25 digs and 0.63 aces per set during that stretch.
• Sophia Meyers leads the Big Sky while ranking 26th in the NCAA with 0.48 aces per set. That would set a new single-season program record if the season ended today, beating the current record of 0.42 aces per set that Ellie Snook set in 2021. As a team, the Vikings rank second in the Big Sky and 58th in the NCAA with 1.77 aces per set.
• Lauryn Anderson leads the Big Sky with a .448 hitting percentage in conference matches. She leads by a wide margin, as the No. 2-ranked player is hitting .377.
• The Vikings rank first or second in the Big Sky in four different statistical categories. They lead the conference in digs per set (15.5) while ranking second in kills (13.0), assists (12.1) and aces (1.77) per set.
• The Vikings' average of 2.17 blocks per set represents a significant jump from their mark last season. The Vikings averaged only 1.66 blocks per set during the regular season last year, meaning they are averaging more than half a block more per set than a year ago.
• The Vikings have been bitten by the injury bug this season. Ten different players have missed at least one match due to injury or illness. That group includes last season's All-Big Sky first-team selections Makayla Lewis and Madison Friebel, four-year starter Ashleigh Barto and starting libero Paige Stepaniuk.
• Sophia Meyers and Gabby Hollins give the Vikings two players in the top 10 of the Big Sky Conference for kills per set. Meyers ranks second in the Big Sky in both kills (3.67) and points (4.37) per set. Hollins, meanwhile, ranks 10th in the conference with 3.12 kills per set.
• Ashleigh Barto ranks fifth in the Big Sky in hitting percentage (.323) and seventh in blocks per set (1.06).
• At 7-4 in non-conference play, the Vikings recorded their best start to a season since going 9-3 through non-conference play in 2017. Three of the Vikings' seven non-conference wins came over Pac-12 schools between Oregon State (twice) and Utah (on Sept. 5).
• The Vikings are coming off their first appearance in the Big Sky championship match since 2013. The Vikings led Big Sky regular-season champion Northern Colorado 2-1 in the championship match but dropped the next two sets to fall in five.
• The Vikings followed their Big Sky tourney run with a second straight appearance in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). The Vikings were selected as host for the first two rounds of the tournament but fell in the first round to Santa Clara.
• Four players – Ashleigh Barto, Madison Friebel, Makayla Lewis and Sophia Meyers – return from last year's team. Friebel and Lewis made the All-Big Sky first team last season, while Meyers was a second-team selection. Barto is the most experienced of the four returning starters, having started at middle blocker for each of the past three seasons.
• The Vikings have new starters at libero and right side for the first time in years. Ellie Snook had held down the libero spot since 2019, when she debuted and went on to be a three-time Big Sky Libero of the Year. Meanwhile, all-time points leader Parker Webb – except for the latter half of the 2018 season when she was injured – had been the Vikings' regular starter on the right since 2017.
• The Vikings added seven newcomers over the offseason between four transfers and three freshmen. Three of the four transfers joined the Vikings in the spring, as Lauryn Anderson (CSUN), Kate Hansen (Bellevue College) and VaiLin Tagaloa (UNLV) stepped into new roles with the Vikings. A final transfer, Delaney Nicoll (Idaho), joined the Vikings this fall alongside freshmen Devon DeNecochea, Paige Stepaniuk and Naomi White.
• The Vikings are 38-24 over their last two seasons, as well as 23-9 in Big Sky play. The Vikings finished in the top three of the Big Sky Conference both seasons, after placing eighth or lower the previous three seasons.

 

OFFENSIVE BREAKTHROUGH

Through two sets against Montana State on Oct. 19, the Vikings were hitting just .104 while being out-blocked 10.0-to-1.0. Since then, the Viking offense has re-found its mojo, leading Portland State to three straight wins before its loss to Northern Colorado Saturday. In their last four matches, the Vikings are hitting .244 with 13.3 kills per set. Compare that to the five matches that preceded them – when the Vikings hit just .153 with 12.9 kills per set – and the improvements are clear. Better distribution has led to those stats. The Vikings had five players finish with at least seven kills for the first time this season when they played Montana on Oct. 21. Against Northern Arizona last Thursday, four players finished with at least 10 kills, another first this season. The better distribution has come as a result of the Vikings finding their middle blockers and right-side hitters more recently. Middle blockers Ashleigh Barto and Lauryn Anderson are averaging 2.50 and 2.00 kills per set, respectively, while hitting .418 and .527 in the team's last four matches. Anderson remains at .448 across Big Sky play, an average that gives her the conference lead in the category. Barto, meanwhile, ranks fifth in the Big Sky with a .323 hitting percentage across all matches this season. Outside of the middles, right-side hitters Jasmine Powell and Kendra Duffey average 1.71 and 1.20 kills per set, respectively. Powell is hitting .291 while recording her 1.71 kills per set. More balance has allowed leading hitter Sophia Meyers to shine even more. In the Vikings' last four matches, Meyers has averaged 4.06 kills per set on .281 hitting to go with 3.25 digs and 0.63 aces per set. Meyers' recent hot streak included her first 20-20 match as a Viking as she finished with 21 kills and 20 digs to go with four aces against Montana State on Oct. 19. Meyers followed with two more double-doubles against Montana and Northern Arizona before having a streak of five straight snapped at Northern Colorado Saturday. For the season, Meyers ranks second in the Big Sky in both kills (3.67) and points (4.37) per set. Gabby Hollins, who has been quieter during the team's recent breakthroughs ranks 10th in the conference with 3.12 kills per set. Setters Madison Friebel and Ella Hartford have split time in the Vikings' 6-2 formation and currently rank seventh and 10th in the Big Sky with 6.17 and 5.27 assists per set, respectively. The duo led the Vikings to .319 hitting against Northern Arizona last Thursday, the team's second-best mark of the season.
 

ACE IN THE HOLE

The Vikings' best offensive weapon this season may not come from the front row. It might instead come from the end line where the Vikings have shown a killer serving instinct at times. It was a theme that emerged early for the Vikings, as they set a near-record with 16 aces in their second match of the season against Cal State Fullerton on Aug. 26. The 16 aces were one off the program's three-set match record that has stood since 1995. Sophia Meyers had six aces in the match, the most by a Viking since Cheyne Corrado had seven against Oklahoma on Sept. 12, 2014. Meyers had two strong serving matches in the Vikings' recent weekend sweep of the Montana schools. She posted four aces against Montana State on Oct. 19, then followed with five aces against Montana on Oct. 21. Meyers now leads the Big Sky with 0.48 aces per set, an average that also ranks her 26th in the NCAA. If the season ended today, Meyers would break the single-season program record for aces per set, as her average stands ahead of the current record of 0.42 aces per set that Ellie Snook set in 2021. Lauryn Anderson ranks tied for eighth in the Big Sky with 0.35 aces per set. As a team, the Vikings rank second in the Big Sky and 58th in the NCAA with 1.77 aces per set.
 

NET GAIN

Equally important to the Vikings' offensive breakthroughs in their recent three-match win streak was the team's presence at the net. Through two sets against Montana State on Oct. 19, the Vikings had just one block. Montana State had 10 at the same juncture, making it clear which team was up two sets to none. But since that point, the Vikings have been fire at the net. They recorded 12.0 blocks over the final three sets over their reverse sweep of the Bobcats, then followed with 15.0 and 11.0 blocks against Montana and Northern Arizona, respectively. The Vikings' 15.0 blocks against the Grizzlies marked a new season high, while the three straight matches with 10+ blocks was also a seasonal best. Even after Northern Colorado held the Vikings to just 5.0 blocks last Saturday, the Vikings are still averaging 2.75 blocks per set in their last four matches. Compare that to last year, when the Vikings averaged only 1.66 blocks per set during the regular season, and the differences are clear. The recent hot streak means the Vikings are now averaging 2.17 blocks per set as a team, more than half a block per set more than they averaged last season. Middle blockers Ashleigh Barto and Lauryn Anderson have both come alive during the recent stretch. Both players are averaging over 1.00 blocks per set with Barto at 1.25 and Anderson at 1.13. Right-side hitter Kendra Duffey has been a presence at the net, too, as she's averaging 0.93 blocks per set in the team's last four matches. Fellow right-side hitter Jasmine Powell has 0.57 blocks per set over the same stretch.
 

SOPHIA MANIA

Sophia Meyers has been the six-rotation player the Vikings needed her to be since two-time All-Big Sky first-teamer Makayla Lewis went down in the team's season opener. Never has that been more the case than recently, as Meyers has come alive of late. Meyers is averaging 4.06 kills per set on .284 hitting to go with 3.25 digs and 0.63 aces per set over the team's last four matches. She posted the first 20-20 match of her career against Montana State on Oct. 19 while leading the Vikings to a reverse sweep of the Bobcats. Meyers finished with 21 kills on .327 hitting against the Bobcats, while adding 20 digs and four aces. Against Montana on Oct. 21, Meyers led the Vikings again with 17 kills on .259 hitting to go with 12 digs and five aces. She recorded her fifth straight double-double and 14th of the season with team highs for kills (16) and digs (13) against Northern Arizona last Thursday. Meyers was named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week after the team's sweep of the Montana schools, the second time this season she's earned that honor. The first honor came after the Vikings' sweep of Oregon State on Sept. 14 and 16, when Meyers averaged 5.29 kills per set on .277 hitting across both matches against the Beavers. She followed that with another big match against Northern Colorado on Sept. 23. Meyers did a little bit of everything between a match-high 17 kills to go with 11 digs, a career-high six blocks and four aces against the defending Big Sky champions. For the season, Meyers now ranks second in the conference in both kills (3.67) and points (4.37) per set. Meyers' best weapon this season remains her serving, as she leads the conference while ranking 26th nationally with 0.48 aces per set. She had six aces against Cal State Fullerton on Aug. 26, the most by a Viking since 2014. She also had nine in nine sets against the Montana schools on Oct. 19 and 21.
 

YO GABBY GABBY

Gabby Hollins has gone from not playing a single match in 2022 to a top-10 outside hitter within the Big Sky Conference this season. Literally. After sitting on the team's bench during all of last season, Hollins ranks 10th in the Big Sky with 3.12 kills per set. Hollins has given way to hotter hands over the team's last four matches, but the senior has still recorded 10+ kills in seven of the team's 11 Big Sky matches. Hollins' best match of her career came in the Vikings' second match of the conference season when she recorded 15 kills on .636 hitting against Northern Colorado on Sept. 23. Hollins' .636 mark was the third-best hitting percentage ever by a Viking in a four-set match and resulted in her being named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career. Hollins also led all players with 18 kills on .267 hitting and 12 digs in the Vikings' 3-1, comeback win over Utah on Sept. 5. Additionally, she had 14 kills on .357 hitting in the Vikings' win over Oregon State on Sept. 16, and then followed with team highs for kills (14) and digs (11) while tying her career high with five aces against Idaho State on Sept. 21.
 

FINDING A RIGHT-HAND MAN…WOMAN, RATHER

The Vikings had been searching for more of a presence on the right side since six-year senior Parker Webb graduated after last season. The Vikings seemed to find the answer to that question during their recent three-match win streak as Jasmine Powell and Kendra Duffey split time in the team's 6-2 formation. The pair of them combined for 3.51 kills per set during the team's three recent wins. Powell contributed 2.18 kills per set of that on .375 hitting, while Duffey had the other 1.33. Both of them also contributed to the team's presence at the net. Duffey averaged 1.08 blocks per set during the Vikings' three recent wins, while Powell chipped in 0.64 per set. Neither started the Vikings' match against Montana State on Oct. 19, but they played the last three sets as the Vikings completed a reverse sweep of the Bobcats. Against Montana on Oct. 21, Powell recorded nine kills on .412 hitting to go with two blocks. Duffey finished with kills on .316 hitting against the Grizzlies while setting a career high with six blocks. Against Northern Arizona last Thursday, Powell set a season high with 10 kills on .471 hitting, while Duffey contributed three kills and five blocks.
 

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS

The top three teams (in some order) within the Big Sky Conference the past two seasons? Portland State, Northern Colorado and Weber State. So, the top three in this year's Big Sky preseason poll? Portland State, Northern Colorado and Weber State. No surprise there. Northern Colorado topped the poll as the clear preseason No. 1 pick, garnering eight of the 10 first-place votes to finish with 80 points in the survey of conference coaches. Weber State finished second in the poll with one first-place vote and 69 points, while the Vikings finished third with 61 points.
 

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

Oct. 26, 2023, Portland State 3, Northern Arizona 1: The Vikings hit .319 for their second-best mark of the season. Four different players recorded 10+ kills for the first time this season. The Vikings won in Flagstaff for only the second time since 2011.
Oct. 21, 2023, Portland State 3, Montana 1: The Vikings hit .288 for their best hitting percentage since hitting a season-high .328 against Northern Colorado. Five different Vikings finished with at least seven kills in the match for the first time this season.
Oct. 19, 2023, Portland State 3, Montana State 2: After hitting just .104 while being out-blocked 10.0-to-1.0 through two sets, the Vikings hit .245 while out-blocking the Bobcats 12.0-to-5.5 over the final three sets in a reverse sweep of the Bobcats. The Vikings saved four match points in the fourth set against the Bobcats, with Sophia Meyers saving three of the four match points. Meyers posted a 20-20 match of 21 kills and 20 digs.
Sept. 23, 2023, Portland State 3, Northern Colorado 1: The Vikings won their first match against Northern Colorado since last year's loss in the Big Sky championship match. The Vikings set season highs for hitting percentage (.328), kills (59), assists (58) and blocks (12.0) in the match.
Sept. 16, 2023, Portland State 3, Oregon State 1: The Vikings completed their first season sweep of Oregon State since 1986. The win came in front of 708 fans, the largest crowd of the season for the Vikings, as well as their second-largest crowd ever at Viking Pavilion.
Sept. 14, 2023, Portland State 3, Oregon State 0: The Vikings won their first road match over the Beavers since 1986, as well as their first road sweep since 1980. The Vikings held the Beavers to a season-low .090 hitting while setting a season high with a .315 mark themselves.
Sept. 9, 2023, Portland State 3, Toledo 1: The Vikings had three players finish in double figures for kills for the first time this season. Madison Friebel also played her first full match of the season after suffering a concussion during training camp, finishing with a double-double of 26 assists and 13 digs.
Sept. 5, 2023, Portland State 3, Utah 1: The Vikings erased a first-set loss to beat Utah for their first win over a Power 5 Conference opponent this season. The win marked only the second time the Vikings have beaten a Pac-12 opponent since 2017.
Sept. 1, 2023, Portland State 3, Southern Utah 0: Sophia Meyers led the Vikings with 20 kills against the Thunderbirds, the most by a Viking in a three-set match since Whitney Phillips had a pair of 21-kill performances in 2010.
Aug. 27, 2023, Portland State 3, San Diego State 0: Gabby Hollins, forced into a new role after Makayla Lewis' injury two days earlier, had a career match, leading all players with 17 kills on a career-best .452 hitting. The Vikings hit .311 as a team, while out-acing the Aztecs 7-to-5.
Aug. 26, 2023, Portland State 3, Cal State Fullerton 0: The Vikings recorded 16 aces in a three-set sweep of Cal State Fullerton, putting them one off the program's three-set match record that has stood since 1995. Sophia Meyers had six aces individually, giving her the most by a Viking in a match since 2014.