Complete match notes (PDF)

FIRST SERVE
The Portland State volleyball team's match against Weber State Thursday will mark exactly a week until Thanksgiving. And yet, the Vikings will enjoy some home cooking nonetheless as they close out their regular season with two home matches against Weber State (Thursday, 7 p.m.) and Idaho State (Saturday, 7 p.m.).
 
Home has been good to the Vikings this season. They're 4-2 in Big Sky matches at Viking Pavilion, where they're averaging more kills per set (12.3 vs. 11.6), a better hitting percentage (.195 vs. .167), and more aces (1.97 vs. 1.13) and digs (14.9 vs. 13.3) per set than they do on the road.
 
The Vikings have been particularly strong from the service line when they've played at home this season. They set a season high with 13 aces against Idaho in their last home match on Nov. 2. They also had nine aces against Eastern Washington on Halloween, which fueled them into their best defensive performance of the season.
 
This weekend's return home comes after the Vikings split their road trip to Montana State and Montana. The Vikings came back from a 2-1 deficit to beat Montana State in five sets on the road last Thursday. The win snapped a five-match road losing streak for the Vikings, while it also marked the Vikings' first five-set conference road win since 2022.
 
Five different Vikings recorded at least 10 kills in the match against Montana State. That was the second time the Vikings had done that in a match this season – the first time coming in a 3-1 home win over Montana on Sept. 28 – after they hadn't accomplished it since 2007.
 
Ella Hartford led the Vikings to the balanced distribution, recording 56 assists to go with nine digs and three blocks. Her 56 assists marked her second-highest total this season, trailing only the career-high 60 assists she recorded against Montana on Sept. 28.
 
Carisa Barron led the group of five in double figures with a match-high 18 kills to go with 10 digs. Makayla Lewis also posted a double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs. Middle blockers Naomi White and Reese Biesemeyer chipped in with 11 kills each while hitting .450 and .500, respectively.
 
The wild card among the group was Devon DeNecochea. When the Vikings had five players go into double figures against Montana earlier in the season, it was Delaney Nicoll joining Barron, Lewis, White and Biesemeyer. But Nicoll has been out with an injury since the Vikings' match at Sacramento State on Oct. 4, and the Vikings had been searching for more consistency on the right side ever since. DeNecochea provided that this time around, tying her career high with 10 kills on .333 hitting against the Bobcats.
 
DeNecochea was at her best in the critical fourth set when the Vikings turned the match around after falling behind two sets to one. The sophomore recorded six kills on only eight swings, hitting .750 in the frame while the Vikings hit .467 as a team.
 
The win over the Bobcats secured the Vikings a Big Sky tournament spot after other results came in following Saturday. The Vikings' seeding will be determined this weekend. They could end up anywhere from the fifth to the eighth seed depending on results from other matches.
 
Any scenario starts with the Vikings' own results, though, which should keep the Vikings focused ahead of two tough matchups against Weber State and Idaho State.
 
The Wildcats had a six-match winning streak snapped with a 3-0 loss to Northern Colorado last Saturday. If the Wildcats had won that match, they would have been tied with the Bears atop the league standings going into this weekend. But instead, they'll look to secure either the second or third seed this weekend at Portland State and Sacramento State.
 
The Wildcats already beat the Vikings once this season, winning in four sets in Ogden on Oct. 26. They won that match behind their defense, which has been a strength for the Wildcats all season. The Wildcats head into the weekend leading the Big Sky in opponent hitting percentage (.183) while also ranking third in the conference in digs per set (14.8) and fourth in blocks per set (2.36).
 
Saane Munyer leads the Wildcats defensively at the net, as she ranks seventh in the conference with 1.13 blocks per set. Liana Woodley ranks second on the team with 0.91 blocks per set.
 
Idaho State also features a strong defense that they employed in a 3-0 sweep of the Vikings in Pocatello on Oct. 24 earlier this season. The Bengals lead the Big Sky and rank third in the nation with 3.01 blocks per set as a team.
 
Three different players rank in the top 10 of the Big Sky in leading the Bengals to their high ranking for blocks. Jaydin Watts ranks second in the league and 20th nationally with 1.39 blocks per set. Marci Bell ranks close behind her at third in the league and 56th nationally with 1.24 blocks per set. Meline Robarge represents the third threat at the net as she ranks eighth in the Big Sky with 1.07 blocks per set.
 
The Vikings have played well against strong blocking teams this season. They out-blocked an Eastern Washington team that came into their match on Oct. 31 ranked 14th nationally for blocks while beating the Eagles in four sets. Montana State was also ranked 35th nationally for blocks ahead of their match against the Vikings last Thursday, and the Vikings out-blocked them 13.0-to-8.0 in their five-set win.
 
So, the Vikings should know what they're capable of this weekend. They've shown that in similar matches this season. And with some home cooking in your belly, anything is possible.
 
SENIOR DAY/PROMOTIONS
Saturday's match against Idaho State will double as the Vikings' Senior Day. The Vikings will honor outgoing seniors Carisa Barron, Kate Hansen, Ella Hartford, Taylor Hunter, Makayla Lewis and Delaney Nicoll before the start of the match. Fans are encouraged to get there early to see the entire Senior Day ceremony since it will take place before the start of the match (~6:50 p.m.). Thursday night's match against Weber State is also sponsored by DSP Connections.
 
MATCH #26: PORTLAND STATE (7-18, 6-8) vs. WEBER STATE (13-12, 10-4)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Thursday, Nov. 21, 7 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
SCOUTING WEBER STATE: The Weber State Wildcats had a six-match winning streak snapped with a 3-0 loss to league-leading Northern Colorado last Saturday. A win there would have tied Weber State with Northern Colorado for the Big Sky lead. Instead, they'll now need to sweep their matches against Portland State and Sacramento State this weekend, while also hoping Northern Colorado loses both of its matches – against Idaho and Eastern Washington – to earn a share of the Big Sky title. Statistically, the Wildcats rank as one of the best defenses within the Big Sky Conference. They lead the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.183) while also ranking third in the conference in digs per set (14.8) and fourth in blocks per set (2.36). Saane Munyer leads the Wildcats at the net, as she ranks seventh in the conference with 1.13 blocks per set. Liana Woodley ranks second on the team with 0.91 blocks per set. Stacia Barker averages 1.06 blocks per set, but has only played in 17 of the team's 98 sets. In the back row, freshman libero Marly Pratt leads the Wildcats with 3.39 digs per set. Setter Kate Payne ranks close behind her with 3.22 digs per set. Offensively, Ashley Gneiting leads the Wildcats while ranking ninth in the conference with 2.97 kills per set. No other Wildcat averages more than 2.00 kills per set. Jayda Tupea ranks second on the team with 1.88 kills per set, while Rose Moore is close behind her with 1.85 per set. Munyer and Woodley have been efficient from the middle, as they rank second and 10th in the Big Sky with hitting percentages of .355 and .282, respectively, but they average only 1.47 and 1.38 kills per set. Payne and Gneiting lead the Wildcats' efforts from the service line, as they both average 0.29 aces per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Wildcats, 41-25. The Wildcats have controlled the series of late, though. They've won the last three matches in the series, as well as 10 of the last 13. The Vikings' last win over the Wildcats came on Oct. 15, 2022, via a 3-0 road sweep.
 
MATCH #27: PORTLAND STATE (7-18, 6-8) vs. IDAHO STATE (18-8, 9-5)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Saturday, Nov. 23, 7 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
SCOUTING IDAHO STATE: The Idaho State Bengals were briefly tied with Northern Colorado for the conference lead after the Bears lost to Sacramento State on Nov. 7. Both teams were 9-2 at that point with five matches remaining in the regular season. But the Bengals lost in four sets at Weber State on Nov. 8, then dropped home matches to Northern Colorado (3-1) and Northern Arizona (3-2) last weekend to drop to 9-5. They'll still finish higher than anyone predicted at the beginning of the season. Big Sky coaches picked the Bengals to finish eighth in the 10-team conference in their preseason poll. They've beaten that projection already behind a balanced attack offensively and defensively. Offensively, the Bengals rank second in the Big Sky and 41st nationally with a .255 team hitting percentage. They also rank third in the conference in both kills (12.8) and assists (11.8) per set. Defensively, they're one of the best blocking teams not only in the Big Sky but the nation. They lead the conference while ranking third nationally with 3.01 blocks per set. Three different players rank in the top 10 of the Big Sky in leading the Bengals to their high ranking for blocks. Jaydin Watts ranks second in the league and 20th nationally with 1.39 blocks per set. Marci Bell ranks close behind her at third in the league and 56th nationally with 1.24 blocks per set. Meline Robarge represents the third threat at the net as she ranks eighth in the Big Sky with 1.07 blocks per set. All three players contribute to the offense, too. Jamie Streit leads the Bengals with 3.01 kills per set, ranking her seventh in the Big Sky. Sadie Bluth ranks second on the team with 2.80 kills per set. But behind them, Robarge ranks third on the team with 2.05 kills per set, while Watts and Bell rank fourth and fifth with 1.91 and 1.87 kills per set, respectively. Setter Aliyah Sopo'aga stirs the drink for the Bengal offense as she ranks second in the Big Sky with 9.37 assists per set. Her twin sister Asiah Sopo'aga leads the Bengals in the back row with 3.87 digs per set, ranking her fourth in the Big Sky.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Bengals, 40-28. The Bengals have won the last two in the series, however, including a 3-0 sweep in Pocatello on Oct. 24 earlier this season. The Bengals also won their last match at Viking Pavilion, a four-set win on Oct. 12, 2023. The Vikings had won six in a row before those two recent losses.
 
STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings split their matches at Montana State and Montana last weekend. The Vikings came back from a 2-1 deficit to beat Montana State, 3-2, last Thursday, but then fell to Montana in three sets Saturday.
• Despite losing Saturday, the Vikings still clinched a Big Sky tournament berth after results came in elsewhere. The Vikings' seeding could range anywhere from the fifth to the eighth seeds depending on results from this weekend, with the sixth or seventh seeds most likely.
• Thursday's win over Montana State snapped a five-match road losing streak. It also marked the Vikings' first road win over the Bobcats since 2021, as well as their first five-set conference road win since 2022.
• The Vikings had five players record double-digit kills in their win over Montana State. It was the second time the Vikings had done that in a match this season – the first time coming in a 3-1 home win over Montana on Sept. 28 – after the Vikings hadn't done so since 2007. Carisa Barron (18 kills), Makayla Lewis (12), Reese Biesemeyer (11), Naomi White (11) and Devon DeNecochea (10) were the five in double figures, while setter Ella Hartford led them there with 56 assists.
• Devon DeNecochea tied her career high for kills in both matches last weekend, recording 10 against both Montana State and Montana. The majority of her 10 kills against Montana State came in the fourth set, when she helped turn the match around after the Vikings fell behind 2-1 in the match. DeNecochea had six kills on only eight swings, hitting .750, in the fourth set while the Vikings hit .467 as a team in the frame.
• Thursday's road win at Montana State aside, the Vikings have been better at home than they have been on the road this season. Not only are the Vikings 4-2 in Big Sky play at home versus a 2-6 road record, they average more kills per set (12.3 vs. 11.6), a better hitting percentage (.195 vs. .167), and more aces (1.97 vs. 1.13) and digs (14.9 vs. 13.3) per set.
• Makayla Lewis hit 1,000-career digs during the Vikings' match against Northern Colorado on Nov. 9, putting her in the exclusive 1,000-kill, 1,000-dig club. She's only the third Viking during the program's Big Sky era to reach 1k in both categories, joining Jessica Brodie (1,533 kills, 1,441 digs) and former teammate Zoe McBride (1,236 kills, 1,111 digs).
• Makayla Lewis has recorded 10+ kills in six of the team's last nine matches, including a season-high 17 kills in two different matches. She's averaging 3.19 kills per set during the team's last nine matches.
• Sophomore Paige Stepaniuk averages 3.86 digs per set in Big Sky play. She set a career high with 30 digs in the Vikings' win over Eastern Washington on Halloween.
• The Vikings have hit .250 or better in four of their six conference wins this season. The two exceptions came in their wins over Eastern Washington and Montana State, and the Vikings still hit .234 and .248, respectively, in those matches.
• Hitting percentage has been the best indicator of success for the Vikings this season. They're 7-1 when they outhit their opponent and 0-17 when they don't. Within that, the Vikings are 7-4 when hitting .200 or more, and 0-14 when they don't. They're also 6-2 when holding their opponent under .200 hitting and 1-16 when they don't.
• Freshman Allison Panter is averaging 0.40 aces per set this season. She had been ranked in the top 10 of the Big Sky in the category, but fell below the minimum participation requirements after only playing in three of the team's eight sets last weekend.
• Carisa Barron is averaging 3.22 kills per set on .158 hitting within Big Sky play. She's gone into double figures in eight of the team's 14 conference matches this season, including her match-high 18 kills in last Thursday's win at Montana State. She set a career high with 21 kills against Idaho on Sept. 26.
• Middle blockers Naomi White and Reese Biesemeyer rank third and fifth in the Big Sky, respectively, with hitting percentages of .345 and .331. White also ranks 10th in the conference with 1.01 blocks per set.
• Setter Ella Hartford ranks fourth in the Big Sky Conference with 8.65 assists per set.
• The Vikings are 4-17 in deuce sets – sets decided by two points – this season. The Vikings won a deuce set in the fifth, 15-13, against Montana State Thursday, but then dropped a deuce set at Montana Saturday, losing the second set, 27-25.
• The Vikings have been hard done by injuries so far this season. Senior Delaney Nicoll has sat the last 11 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 were inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame at a ceremony on Oct. 29.

 
WHEN THE OFFENSE COOKS, THE VIKS COOK
The best indicator of success for the Vikings this season has been their hitting percentage. The Vikings are 7-1 when outhitting their opponent and 0-17 when they don't. The differences between the Vikings' hitting percentage in a win versus a loss have been clear. Portland State has hit .225 or better in all six of their conference wins, including a season-high .355 in their win over Montana on Sept. 28. The Vikings had five players record 10 or more kills in the win over Montana while all five hit .300 or better. They had five players record 10+ kills again in last Thursday's win over Montana State between Carisa Barron (18 kills), Makayla Lewis (12), Reese Biesemeyer (11), Naomi White (11) and Devon DeNecochea (10). Before this season, the Vikings hadn't had five players record 10+ kills in the same match since 2007. DeNecochea's emergence has been an encouraging sign for the Vikings of late as they had struggled to replace Delaney Nicoll since the senior went down with an injury following the team's match at Sacramento State on Oct. 4. DeNecochea has recorded 10 kills in three of the Vikings' last five matches, including both matches last weekend. Overall, Makayla Lewis leads the Vikings with 2.87 kills per set this season, though Carisa Barron ranks right behind her at 2.84. Middle blockers Naomi White and Reese Biesemeyer rank third and fourth on the team – among active players – with 2.05 and 1.65 kills per set, respectively.
 
ACE IN THE HOLE
The Vikings set a season high with 13 aces against Idaho on Nov. 2. The performance continued an upward trend for the Vikings from the service line at the time. The Vikings had nine aces the match prior against Eastern Washington on Oct. 31, and went into double figures with 10 aces against Sacramento State on Oct. 18. The Vikings struggled from the service line during their four-match road trip – recording only 13 aces combined across 14 sets – but they've been better at home this season. The Vikings average 1.97 aces per set in home matches versus 1.13 per set on the road. Allison Panter leads the Vikings with 0.40 aces per set. She had been ranked among the Big Sky leaders in the category, but fell below the minimum participation requirements after only playing three of the team's eight sets last weekend.
 
STRENGTH AT THE NET
The Vikings have more firepower at the middle of the net than they've had in some time. It's a theme that emerged early as Naomi White and Taylor Hunter combined for 28 kills on .500 hitting against Nevada on Sept. 1. That was more kills from their middle blockers than the Vikings got in any match last season, and it came on the opening weekend of the season. Against Montana on Sept. 28, White and freshman Reese Biesemeyer nearly matched that mark with 21 kills on .442 hitting. They topped that with 22 kills on .475 hitting in last Thursday's win over Montana State. 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 Weber State ranked third and fifth in the Big Sky Conference with hitting percentages of .345 and .331, respectively. White has been even better within Big Sky play where she's hitting .381. Defensively, White leads the Vikings with 1.01 blocks per set, ranking her 10th in the conference in the category. Biesemeyer averages 0.80 blocks per set, though she's been even better during Big Sky play when she's averaging 0.88 per set.
 
DEE-FENCE! DEE-FENCE!
The Viking defense put together its best performance of the season on Halloween while handing a red-hot Eastern Washington team only its second loss in its last eight matches. The Vikings recorded a season-high 84 digs as a team while holding the Eagles to .137 hitting. That was a conference season low for the Eagles at the time. What's more, the Vikings out-blocked an Eastern Washington team that came into the match ranked 14th nationally for blocks per set. In the process, the Vikings – which out-blocked the Eagles 9.0-to-8.0 – became the first Big Sky team to top the Eagles at the net. The Viking defense played well against another strong blocking team in Montana State last Thursday. The Bobcats entered the match ranked third in the conference and 35th nationally for blocks, and yet the Vikings out-blocked them 13.0-to-8.0. The 13.0 blocks were a conference season high and one off their overall season high, which came against Butler on Sept. 15. Individually, Paige Stepaniuk leads the back row with 3.45 digs per set, ranking her seventh in the Big Sky this season. She had a career-high 30 digs in the Vikings' win over Eastern Washington, and has been averaging 3.86 digs per set in conference matches. Naomi White leads the Vikings at the net with 1.01 blocks per set, ranking her 10th in the conference.
 
RETURN OF THE MAK
Sixth-year senior Makayla Lewis joined exclusive company during the Vikings' match against Northern Colorado on Nov. 9 when she recorded the 1,000th dig of her career. The milestone followed her 1,000th career kill, which came on the opening weekend of the season with her first kill against Nevada on Sept. 1. Lewis became just the third Viking during the program's Big Sky era (1996-present) to reach the 1,000-kill, 1,000-dig milestones, joining Jessica Brodie (1,533 kills, 1441 digs) and former teammate Zoe McBride (1,236 kills, 1,111 digs). It's a testament to Lewis' perseverance that she joined the 1k/1k club after she suffered a season-ending ACL tear during the opening match of the Vikings' 2023 season. Lewis could have ended her career there, but instead opted to come back and has made more history besides just the 1k milestones. Lewis heads into this week ranked seventh in kills in the Division I history of the Portland State program. She's only the second player since 2014 to enter the top 10, joining former teammate Parker Webb. She also ranks tied for seventh in kills per set (3.24), as well as tied for ninth in points per set (3.64). Additionally, her double-double against Montana State last Thursday (12 kills, 11 digs) was the 32nd of her PSU career, giving her sole possession of sixth place all-time at Portland State.
 
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 made her 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 eight of the Vikings' 14 Big Sky matches this season, including a match-high 18 in the Vikings' five-set, comeback win at Montana State last Thursday. She heads into this week averaging 3.22 kills per set within Big Sky play, the sixth-best average for any player within the conference during league play. 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 .158 so far within Big Sky play after hitting just .092 through non-conference play.
 
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Nov. 14, 2024, Portland State 3, Montana State 2: The Vikings came back from a 2-1 deficit to record their first road win over the Bobcats since 2021, as well as their first five-set conference road win anywhere since 2022. The Vikings had five players record 10+ kills in the match for the second time this season after not having done so since 2007.
Nov. 9, 2024, Northern Colorado 3, Portland State 0: Makayla Lewis hit the 1,000-dig milestone in her career, making her only the third Viking during the program's Big Sky era to reach 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career. Lewis joined Jessica Brodie (1,533 kills, 1,441 digs) and former teammate Zoe McBride (1,236 kills, 1,111 digs) in the 1k/1k club.
Nov. 2, 2024, Portland State 3, Idaho 0: The Vikings recorded a season-high 13 aces against the Vandals. They also held the Vandals to .069 hitting, a season low for a Viking opponent.
Oct. 31, 2024, Portland State 3, Eastern Washington 1: The Vikings put together their best defensive performance of the season, recording a season-high 84 digs as a team while holding the Eagles to their conference season low at .137. The Vikings also out-blocked an Eagle team that came into the match ranked 14th nationally for blocks per set.
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.