BOZEMAN, Mont. — The Portland State volleyball team wrapped its regular season with a 3-1 loss (25-19, 23-25, 25-18, 25-20) to Montana State Saturday at Shroyer Gym.
 
The Vikings now head into the Big Sky tournament in Greeley, Colo., where they'll face fourth-seeded Weber State in the quarterfinals Wednesday.
 
The practices leading up to the tournament will have a clear agenda for the Vikings. Montana State became the third straight team to hit .250 or better against the Vikings, as the Bobcats recorded 56 kills on .268 hitting Saturday. And while the Vikings hit .250 themselves – the fifth straight match in which they've topped .200 – it wasn't enough given the Bobcats' strength offensively.
 
The strong hitting percentage came off of strong serving for the Bobcats (19-7, 12-4 Big Sky) as they out-aced the Vikings, 12-to-3. It's the second straight match that the Vikings have given up 10 or more aces to their opponent, after Montana had 10 against the Vikings Thursday.
 
Serving was a key part of every set the Bobcats won Saturday. The first set was tied at 19-all when the Bobcats closed on a 6-0 that featured two aces. They also punctuated a 3-0 run that gave them a 20-14 lead in the third set with an ace. Yet another ace came in a 5-1 run that turned a 14-all tie in the fourth set into a 19-15 MSU lead. Their final ace gave the Bobcats match point at 24-19, and they'd close out the victory two points later.
 
The Vikings can hang their hat on their offense. That's been the case for the last several matches for the Vikings, who are hitting .257 over their last nine.
 
The Vikings found their stroke in the second set when they hit .316 to level the match at a set apiece. Gabby Hollins and Delaney Nicoll emerged as the go-to arms for the Vikings in the frame. Hollins recorded six kills on only eight swings to hit .750 in the second set, while Nicoll had four kills on six swings to hit .667.
 
All four of Nicoll's kills came in the middle of the set when the Vikings broke a tie with a 7-2 run to go up 20-15.
 
Those two helped the Vikings raise their level again in the fourth set when the Vikings recorded 16 kills on .387 hitting. Hollins recorded seven kills on eight swings in the set, hitting .875, while Nicoll added five kills on .375.
 
They both recorded three kills in a 7-0 run in the fourth set that saw the Vikings tie up the frame after they trailed 12-5 early. Nicoll combined with Lauryn Anderson for a block on the other point in the run, too. Of course, the Bobcats responded with a 5-1 run to re-take a 19-15 lead, then held the advantage the rest of the way.
 
Both Hollins and Nicoll set season highs with 19 and 12 kills, respectively. Hollins recorded her 19 kills on .382 hitting, while Nicoll hit .429 on her 12. No other Vikings finished in double-figures.
 
Better distribution, better passing and better defense will help the Vikings at next week's Big Sky tournament. It was last year that the Vikings put everything together to make the Big Sky championship match for the first time since 2013.
 
Whether the Vikings can muster a similar run this season will be settled next week. The tournament represents a new season for all teams that make it. And that season starts Wednesday.
 
Match Notes: The Vikings still lead the all-time series between them and the Bobcats, 48-27-1…The Bobcats finished the regular season 12-1 at home…Sophia Meyers had two aces Saturday, giving her 48 this season…Meyers is two aces off the single-season program record that Ellie Snook set at 50 in 2021.
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