Complete match notes (PDF)

FIRST SERVE
A match on Halloween can be a trick or a treat. The Portland State volleyball team will hope it's the latter as the Vikings look to snap out of a recent tough stretch during its homestand against Eastern Washington and Idaho. The Vikings play the Eagles on Halloween night at 7 p.m., while they'll host the Vandals Saturday at 5 p.m.
 
In order to secure their treat, the Vikings will need a few key pieces to go their way. There have been positives even among the Vikings' recent tough stretch, but they'll need to piece a few more together to secure a win.
 
One of the things the Vikings have been looking for recently has been more of a presence from their right-side hitters. Delaney Nicoll has missed the last five matches since their road match against Sacramento State on Oct. 4. Sydney Stenson and Devon DeNecochea have split time in place of Nicoll and had one of their stronger matches in that effort last Thursday against Idaho State. DeNecochea recorded a career-high seven kills on .385 hitting while adding the first two aces of her collegiate career. Stenson, meanwhile, added five kills on .200 hitting.
 
The Vikings have also been searching for a stronger defensive performance. Their last three opponents have all hit .250 or better against them, which has been a key indicator of success or failure for the Vikings this season. If the Vikings hold their opponent to under .200 hitting, then they're 4-1 this season. But if their opponent hits above .200, then the Vikings are 0-14.
 
A bright spot among the defense last weekend was sophomore libero Paige Stepaniuk. She set a three-set season high with 19 digs in last Thursday's match at Idaho State, then followed with an overall season high of 23 digs last Saturday against Weber State. The two matches together meant Stepaniuk averaged 6.00 digs per set last weekend – the best two-match stretch of her PSU career.
 
Still, the Vikings will need factors beyond Stepaniuk to go their way when they face the Eagles and Vandals this weekend. Stronger serving or better blocking at the net would certainly help, as would greater efficiency offensively. While the Vikings have hit .250 or better in their three conference wins this season, they've hit .154 or worse in their five conference losses.
 
Part of that has been needing to replace Nicoll's production while she's been out. But the Vikings would also love to see even distribution and efficiency from their top hitters in Carisa Barron (2.83 kills per set, .147 hitting), Makayla Lewis (2.79 k/s, .116), Naomi White (2.04 k/s, .339) and Reese Biesemeyer (1.72 k/s, .335).
 
They'll need a balanced offense Thursday against one of the best blocking teams not only in the Big Sky but the nation in the Eagles. Eastern Washington comes into Thursday night's match averaging 2.78 blocks per set, a mark that ranks them second in the Big Sky Conference and 14th nationally.
 
Bri Gunderson leads the Big Sky Conference while ranking sixth in the nation with 1.56 blocks per set individually. She's also been a factor in the Eagles' offense, as she ranks second on the team and ninth in the conference with 2.93 kills per set. Additionally, Gunderson leads the Eagles with 0.30 aces per set.
 
Thursday night's match will be the first and only meeting between the Vikings and Eagles this season. It'll be a different case Saturday, when the Vikings face Idaho for a second time. The Vikings took their opening match in Moscow in four sets on Sept. 26. Barron led the Vikings to the win behind a career-high 21 kills on .298 hitting. White added 14 kills on .520 hitting to go with five blocks, while Lewis, Biesemeyer and Nicoll all contributed seven or more kills in the match.
 
It's been a tough road for the Vandals since that match. The last set they won came in their earlier match against the Vikings, when they took the third set, 25-21. Eight straight 3-0 losses have followed.
 
The Vandals have been without Madu Fontes over their last four matches. That's been a tough blow considering Fontes led the Vandals from the service line, which had been the Vandals' biggest weapon. Fontes ranked second in the Big Sky with 0.46 aces per set at the time of her injury, and was one of the Vandals' more productive hitters.
 
Without Fontes, Zuzanna Wieczorek leads the Vandals with 2.57 kills per set on .209 hitting. The Vikings held her to seven kills in their first match against each other. Fontes led the Vandals with 12 kills on .182 hitting, while Chiara Gennari added 10 kills on .450 hitting.
 
Saturday's match will be different, of course. All second meetings between teams are. The Vikings just don't want it to be too different.
 
No need for a full costume change, for instance. Just a knock on another door that results in a treat rather than a trick.
 
PROMOTIONS
The Vikings will be hosting a "Spooky Vik Night" for their match against Eastern Washington on Halloween night at 7 p.m. Kids in attendance can trick-or-treat along the concourse before the match. All fans may also take part in a costume contest at the match.
 
MATCH #20: PORTLAND STATE (4-15, 3-5) vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON (10-9, 6-3)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Thursday, Oct. 31, 7 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
SCOUTING EASTERN WASHINGTON: After an 0-2 opening weekend of conference play, the Eastern Washington Eagles have been one of the hottest teams in the Big Sky Conference since, winning six of their last seven. That includes a 3-0 sweep of a 7-2 Idaho State team at home on Oct. 17. The Eagles also recorded a 3-1 home win over a 6-3 Weber State team that same weekend. The Eagles' lone recent loss came at home to the conference leaders in Northern Colorado, which swept the Eagles last Friday. They bounced back with a 3-1 win over Northern Arizona the next day, however. Statistically, the Eagles rank in the top half of all major statistical categories. They rank highest in blocks (2.78) and digs (15.7) per set, where they rank second in the conference in both categories. The Eagles also rank 14th nationally in blocks per set, and are averaging more than 3.0 blocks per set within Big Sky play. Individually, Bri Gunderson leads the Eagles at the net as she tops the Big Sky Conference while ranking sixth nationally with 1.56 blocks per set. Tanai Jenkins adds 0.96 blocks per set, ranking her just outside of the Big Sky top 10. Gunderson has also been a factor in the Eagles' offense. She ranks second on the team and ninth in the conference with 2.93 kills per set, while she stands fifth in the Big Sky with 4.13 points per set. She also leads the Eagles with 0.30 aces per set. Kalista Lukovich leads the Eagles while ranking eighth in the conference with 2.97 kills per set. Quincy Moran and Alyssa Radke also both average more than 2.0 kills per set with 2.27 and 2.11, respectively. Jannie Blake and Kate Hatch have split time at setter for the Eagles, as they average 5.18 and 4.81 assists per set, respectively. In the back row, Makenna Collins leads the Eagles with 3.59 digs per set. Lukovich ranks second on the team with 2.74 digs per set from her position on the pin.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Eagles, 36-31. It's been an even series of late, however, with the teams both 4-4 in their last eight matches. True to form, the teams split their matches last season with both teams winning on their home floor.
 
MATCH #21: PORTLAND STATE (4-15, 3-5) vs. IDAHO (1-19, 0-9)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Saturday, Nov. 2, 5 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
SCOUTING IDAHO: The Idaho Vandals took a set off the Vikings when the teams faced off against each other in both teams' season opener on Sept. 26. The Vikings still won that match in four sets, of course, and the Vandals have dropped every set of every match since then. The Vandals' 0-9 start to Big Sky play followed a 1-10 non-conference schedule in which their lone win came via a 3-1 road victory over Siena College on Sept. 13. Despite their struggles, the Vandals' biggest strength has been their serving. They recorded eight aces against the Vikings in their first match against each other, and head into the weekend ranked seventh in the Big Sky with 1.37 aces per set as a team. Madu Fontes had led that effort, averaging 0.46 aces per set to rank second in the Big Sky Conference, but has missed the Vandals' last four matches. Zuzanna Wieczorek ranks second on the team with 0.25 aces per set, while Nisan Ozdogan and Emma Patterson rank behind her with 0.23 and 0.20 aces per set, respectively. Wieczorek leads the Vandals offensively with 2.57 kills per set on .209 hitting. Taylor Brickey ranks second behind her with 2.26 kills per set. Defensively, Ada Isik leads the Vandals with 2.88 digs per set, while Patterson paces the Vandals at the net with 0.94 blocks per set. In their last match against the Vikings, Fontes led the Vandals with 12 kills to go with 13 digs. Chiara Gennari was the only other Vandal to go in double figures with 10 kills on .450 hitting.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Vandals, 22-9. They've won their last five matches against the Vandals, including a four-set road win on Sept. 26 earlier this season. The Vandals' last win in the series came on Jan. 25, 2021, at Viking Pavilion.
 
STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings have dropped five of their last six matches, including their last three in a row.
• The Vikings' last three opponents have all hit over .250 against them. In general, the Vikings are 0-14 when opponents hit over .200 against them this season, and 4-1 when they hold opponents under that mark.  
• The Vikings have hit .250 or better in all three of their Big Sky victories so far. They hit .258 against Idaho in their conference opener on Sept. 26, then followed up with a season-high .355 hitting percentage against Montana on Sept. 28. The Vikings hit .280 in their 3-0 sweep of Northern Arizona on Oct. 12. Conversely, the Vikings have hit .154 or worse in their five conference losses.
• Carisa Barron is averaging 3.50 kills per set on .204 hitting so far in Big Sky play. She's gone into double figures in six of eight conference matches so far this season, including a career-high 21 against Idaho on Sept. 26. Two of her three double-doubles this season have come within Big Sky play.
• Sophomore Paige Stepaniuk set a season high with 23 digs in last Saturday's four-set loss at Weber State. She averaged 6.00 digs per set over both matches last weekend, her best average over a two-match stretch in her PSU career.
• Middle blockers Naomi White and Reese Biesemeyer rank fourth and fifth in the Big Sky, respectively, with hitting percentages of .339 and .335. White has been hitting .392 so far within Big Sky play, the best mark of any player in the conference.
• Makayla Lewis needs 27 more digs to reach 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her collegiate career. She has 1,147 career kills and 973 career digs heading into Thursday's match against Eastern Washington. If she reaches both benchmarks, then she'd become only the second Viking to do so during the program's Division I era, joining Jessica Brodie (1,533 kills, 1,441 digs).
• Ella Hartford ranks third in the Big Sky Conference with 8.84 assists per set. She also ranks eighth in the league with 0.31 aces per set.
• The Vikings are 2-14 in deuce sets – sets decided by two points – this season. Two of the three sets they lost to Idaho State last Thursday were by two points, as they dropped the second and third sets 25-23 and 27-25, respectively.
• The Vikings have been hard done by injuries so far this season. Senior Delaney Nicoll has sat the last five matches after starting every match up to that point. Redshirt senior Taylor Hunter suffered a season-ending knee injury against Nevada on Sept. 1 – a match she was dominating with 13 kills on .478 hitting at the time of her injury. Freshman setter Allison Panter, meanwhile, missed fall camp and the first weekend of the season due to an ankle injury.
• The Vikings were picked to finish fifth this season in the Big Sky preseason coaches poll. Four different teams received first-place votes in the poll with Weber State, Montana State and Sacramento State being a clear top three.
• The Vikings came into the season needing to replace five starters while integrating seven newcomers this season. Ella Hartford (setter) and Paige Stepaniuk (libero) are the two returning starters from a year ago. Makayla Lewis (outside) was a starter two years ago but suffered an ACL tear during the opening match of last season and has been recovering from that injury since then.
• Out of the Vikings' seven newcomers, the Vikings have four transfers and three freshmen. Five of the seven newcomers joined the Vikings ahead of their spring season between the team's four transfers – Carisa Barron (CSUN), Taylor Hunter (CSUN), Tyra Schaub (Gonzaga) and Sydney Stenson (UNLV) – and one freshman, Allison Panter. The other two freshmen – Cali-Jo Shigemasa and Reese Biesmeyer – joined the Vikings in the fall.
• All full-time coaches on the Vikings' coaching staff are Portland State alums. Head coach Michael Seemann graduated in 1999. Assistant coaches Diana Villalpando and Pati Anae both played for Seemann while graduating in 2011 and 2017, respectively. Volunteer assistant coach Duke Robins is the lone non-PSU alum on staff.
• This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Portland State volleyball program's first of four NCAA Division II national titles. The Vikings broke through in 1984, then defended their title in 1985. Those teams will be inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame at a ceremony on Oct. 29.

 
WHEN THE OFFENSE COOKS, THE VIKS COOK
The Viking offense has been a key part in each of the Vikings' three conference wins. They've hit .250 or better in all three wins, including a season-high .355 in their win over Montana on Sept. 28. The Vikings also set season highs for kills (69) and assists (66) in the match against Montana, when they had five players record 10 or more kills while all five hit .300 or better. The Vikings hadn't had five players record 10+ kills in the same match since a match against Sacramento State on Nov. 17, 2007 – nearly 17 years ago. Setter Ella Hartford led that effort, setting career highs for assists (60) and digs (16) in the process. Hartford now ranks third in the Big Sky with 8.84 assists per set this season. Carisa Barron has ranked in the top 10 of the Big Sky for kills per set at various times this season. She's not currently ranked but still leads the Vikings with 2.83 kills per set going into the weekend. Makayla Lewis ranks second on the team with 2.79 kills per set, while Naomi White (2.04 k/s) and Reese Biesemeyer (1.72 k/s) rank behind her. The Viking offense could be even deeper if not for injuries, too, as Taylor Hunter (out of the season) and Delaney Nicoll (out for the team's last five matches) were averaging 2.33 and 2.14 kills per set, respectively, before their injuries.
 
STRENGTH AT THE NET
The Vikings have more firepower at the middle of the net than they've had in some time. Against Nevada on Sept. 1, Naomi White and Taylor Hunter combined for 28 kills on .500 hitting. That's more kills from their middle blockers than the Vikings got in any match last season. Against Montana on Sept. 28, White and freshman Reese Biesemeyer nearly matched that mark with 21 kills on .442 hitting. It's not only the kill production, though, it's the efficiency that's been a highlight for the Vikings. White and Biesemeyer head into Thursday's match against Eastern Washington ranked fourth and fifth in the Big Sky Conference with hitting percentages of .339 and .335, respectively. White has been even better within Big Sky play where she's hitting .392, the third-best mark of any player within the Big Sky Conference against league opponents. Defensively, White leads the Vikings with 0.99 blocks per set, ranking her tied for 10th in the conference in the category. Biesemeyer averages 0.77 blocks per set, though she's been even better during Big Sky play when she's averaging 0.86.
 
IMPROVED PASSING
Just as important as the offense has been in the Vikings' three conference wins has been their improved passing. It was a point of emphasis throughout fall camp and non-conference play for the Vikings, but the lessons seemed to take root once conference play started. The Vikings passed particularly well against Montana on Sept. 28. While the Grizzlies out-aced the Vikings, they didn't have any extended service runs. That was especially important against the Grizzlies' best server, Paige Clark, who came into the match leading the Big Sky in aces per set. While she still recorded two aces in the match, the Vikings limited her longest run of serve to two. Against Sacramento State on Oct. 18, the Vikings actually out-aced (10-7) a Hornet team that came into the match ranked first in the Big Sky and 13th nationally in aces per set at the time. The Vikings need strong passing and defense if they are going to win matches this season. Heading into Thursday's match against Eastern Washington, the Vikings are 4-1 this season when holding opponent to under .200 hitting and 0-14 when they don't.
 
BEWARE THE RIZZLER
Carisa Barron – nicknamed The Rizzler – has found her mojo from the left side. A setter/right-side hitter over the first three years of her college career at CSUN, Barron moved to the left side to fill a need for the Vikings this season and has seemed to make a breakthrough just in time for the start of Big Sky play. Barron set a career high with 21 kills on .298 hitting in the Vikings' conference opener against Idaho on Sept. 26. She then followed with a match-high 18 kills on .341 hitting two days later against Montana, after which she was named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week. She's gone into double figures for kills in six of the Vikings' eight Big Sky matches so far this season. Through the first half of Big Sky play, Barron has averaged 3.50 kills per set, the fifth-best average for any player within the Big Sky during the conference season. That's a marked improvement from her numbers through non-conference play, when she was averaging just 2.34 kills per set. Her efficiency has gone up, too, as she's hitting .204 so far within Big Sky play after hitting just .092 through non-conference play.
 
RETURN OF THE MAK
Sixth-year senior Makayla Lewis made history on the opening weekend of the season. With her first kill of the Vikings' match against Nevada on Sept. 1, Lewis reached 1,000 kills in her collegiate career. It was a triumphant return for Lewis, who was poised for a big year last season before going down with an ACL injury during the team's opening match of the season. The fact that Lewis opted to come back to Portland State after that injury is a credit to her perseverance, a quality that has her on the verge of making other history as well. Lewis set another historic mark against Idaho on Sept. 26, moving into the Division I career top 10 for kills. She's only the second player to enter the top 10 since 2014, and now ranks eighth in the category after passing Marija Vojnovic (2006-09) during the team's match against Sacramento State on Oct. 18. She also ranks eighth in Division I program history for kills per set (3.24) as well as ninth in points per set (3.65). Additionally, her double-double against Montana on Sept. 28 (16 kills, 11 digs) was the 30th of her PSU career, moving her up to seventh all-time at Portland State. Lewis could also join exclusive company in the 1,000 kills, 1,000 digs club, as she needs only 27 digs to reach the 1k mark in that category as well. She would join Jessica Brodie (1,533 kills, 1,441 digs) as the only two players to record 1k kills and 1k digs in their career during the Vikings' Division I era.
 
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Oct. 12, 2024, Portland State 3, Northern Arizona 0: The Vikings recorded their first sweep of the season against the Lumberjacks. They set a three-set season high for digs with 50 in the match.
Sept. 28, 2024, Portland State 3, Montana 1: The Vikings overcame a first-set loss to win a match for the first time this season. They did so while setting season highs for hitting percentage (.355), kills (69) and assists (66). Five different players recorded at least 10 kills in the match, the first time the Vikings have had that happen since Nov. 17, 2007 – nearly 17 years earlier.
Sept. 26, 2024, Portland State 3, Idaho 1: The Vikings won their conference opener, outhitting the Vandals .258-to-.197. Carisa Barron set a career high with 21 kills on .298 hitting to lead the Vikings.
Sept. 18, 2024, #12 Oregon 3, Portland State 0: The Vikings set a Viking Pavilion record with 1,340 fans in attendance for their match against the 12th-ranked Oregon Ducks. The figure trounced the old facility record for a volleyball match, which had been 813.
Sept. 15, 2024, Portland State 3, Butler 1: The Vikings broke through for their first win of the season behind a defense that held Butler to .138 hitting – a season low for a Viking opponent – while recording a season-high 14.0 blocks at the net.
Sept. 1, 2024, Nevada 3, Portland State 2: Makayla Lewis reached 1,000 kills in her collegiate career with her first kill of the match. Additionally, the Vikings got 28 kills on .500 hitting from middle blockers Naomi White and Taylor Hunter – more kills than they got from their middles in any match last season.