Complete Match Notes (PDF)

FIRST SERVE
The Portland State volleyball team will continue to look for a winning combination this weekend, as the Vikings head to the GCU Classic in Phoenix, Ariz. The Vikings open the tournament against host Grand Canyon University Friday at 7 p.m., then face Pacific (Calif.) Saturday (4:30 p.m.) and Butler Sunday (11 a.m.).
 
Head coach Michael Seemann tinkered with his lineup at last weekend's San Diego State Invitational. Some of the tinkering was necessary. Without redshirt senior middle blocker Taylor Hunter, freshman Reese Biesemeyer was forced to step up and start opposite fellow middle blocker Naomi White. The freshman seemingly took to her new role with aplomb, as she made the All-Tournament Team after averaging 1.91 kills per set on .359 hitting over the weekend.
 
The Vikings also got freshman setter Allison Panter back from an ankle injury that had held her out since the second day of fall camp. Panter will continue to work her way back from the injury over the next couple of weeks but played well when alternating with senior Ella Hartford in the Vikings' 6-2 formation.
 
Panter's return also helped the Vikings go deeper to their bench, particularly on the right side of the net. Sydney Stenson saw her first significant playing time of the season during the Vikings' match against San Diego State last Friday. Stenson didn't play the opening set, but chipped in seven kills on .357 hitting over the final four sets as the Vikings pushed the tournament hosts to the brink before falling in five sets.
 
Carisa Barron had been playing on the left, but alternated with Stenson on the right during the Vikings' match against San Diego State. That's her more familiar position, as Barron came to the Vikings after playing three years as a setter/right-side hitter while at CSUN. The familiarity seemed evident as Barron responded with eight kills on a season-high .227 hitting against the Aztecs.
 
So, the Vikings have found some success with their tinkering if not a full win.
 
The Vikings are getting there. In many ways, they're unlucky to not have a breakthrough win already this season. They've held 2-1 leads in their matches against both Nevada and San Diego State, and even led in the fourth set of both matches. The Vikings led 11-7 in the fourth set against Nevada when Hunter – who had 13 kills on .478 hitting to that point – went down with a knee injury. Additionally, the Vikings led 18-15 in the fourth set against San Diego State when the Aztecs got hot and eventually completed the comeback.
 
Either match could have been a win for the Vikings.
 
If the Vikings are to get a win this weekend, they'll need to put all facets of their game together. The team's middle blockers, while depleted due to Hunter's injury, has been a point of strength for the Vikings. White heads into the weekend leading the Big Sky Conference with a .367 hitting percentage so far this season. She also ranks second on the team with 2.50 kills per set. Defensively, White, Hunter and Biesemeyer have helped the Vikings out-block three of their six opponents this season while they finished tied with another. Hunter was averaging 1.33 blocks per set when she went down with her injury, but White and Biesemeyer have 0.86 and 0.60 blocks per set, respectively, between them.
 
Outside of the middles, Makayla Lewis leads the Vikings with 2.86 kills per set, an average that ranks her ninth in the Big Sky Conference this season. She already has two double-doubles this season – her latest being a 12-kill, 12-dig performance against Tulane last Thursday – leaving her with 28 in her career, tying her for eighth all-time at Portland State.
 
All areas will need to be firing against what will be another tough tournament field that the Vikings will face this weekend. Host Grand Canyon nearly beat No. 12 Oregon this past weekend. The Lopes held three match points in the fifth set before the Ducks closed the match on a 5-0 run.
 
The Lopes are still the preseason pick to win the Western Athletic Conference and feature the WAC Preseason Player of the Year in Tatum Parrott. Parrott has earned that honor through her play so far this season, averaging 4.20 kills per set on .217 hitting to go with 0.32 aces, 2.00 digs and 0.64 blocks per set.
 
Saturday's opponent, Pacific, features another dominant left side in the Tigers' Alexa Edwards. Edwards leads the West Coast Conference while ranking 62nd nationally with 4.04 kills per set. She also ranks second in the conference in both points (4.44) and attacks (10.9) per set.
 
Edwards' kill total is nearly double that of her closest teammate. Darina Kumanova ranks as the Tigers' second-most prolific attacker with 2.15 kills per set.
 
Sunday's opponent, Butler, offers a different challenge. The Bulldogs lead the BIG EAST and rank 30th nationally with 2.73 blocks per set. Destiny Cherry leads the conference individually while ranking 77th nationally with 1.26 blocks per set. Teammate Grace Boggess ranks fifth in the conference with 1.15 blocks per set.
 
Every opponent this season has presented their own set of challenges, though. That's another reason to tinker with your lineup. You must adapt to whichever opponent you face.
 
The Vikings are building towards that so when conference play rolls around, they're ready for whatever.
 
MATCH #7: PORTLAND STATE (0-6) vs. GRAND CANYON (3-3)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Friday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m. PT, Phoenix, Ariz. (Global Credit Union Arena at GCU)
SCOUTING GRAND CANYON: The Grand Canyon Lopes have split their six matches so far this season, going 3-3. They won two of three at their first home tournament of the season, the GCU Invitational, on the opening weekend of the season. The Lopes swept another Big Sky Conference school in Montana to open the season, then beat Oregon State 3-1 the next day before losing the tournament finale to Fresno State in five sets. They opened last weekend at the Ram Volleyball Classic in Fort Collins, Colo., with a five-set win over Central Arkansas. Their best performance of the past weekend, however, likely came in a five-set loss to No. 12 Oregon. The Lopes held a 2-1 lead in the match and claimed three match points with a 14-11 lead in the fifth set. But the Ducks won the final five points of the match to nip the Lopes to the finish line. The Lopes followed up with a 3-0 loss to host Colorado State to close the tournament. Coming into the season, the Lopes were picked to win the Western Athletic Conference, edging out UT Arlington by a single point in the preseason coaches poll. Grand Canyon's Tatum Parrott was also honored as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year while she, Ashley Lifgren and Trista Strasser all made the Preseason All-WAC team. Parrott has earned both of her preseason honors so far this season as she's been dominant with 4.20 kills per set on .217 hitting to go with 0.32 aces, 2.00 digs and 0.64 blocks per set. Parrott ranks second in the WAC and 49th nationally with her 4.20 kills per set. She leads the conference with 12.0 attacks per set and ranks third in points per set with 4.86. Besides Parrott, Ellie Frey ranks second on the team with 2.65 kills per set, ranking her 10th in the WAC. Setter Taylor Kubacak ranks third in the WAC with 8.32 assists per set. Strasser, meanwhile, ranks fifth in the conference with 1.04 blocks per set. As a team, the Lopes rank fourth in the WAC in hitting percentage (.204) and digs per set (13.3), while they rank fifth in blocks per set (2.14), assists per set (11.0) and opponent hitting percentage (.205). The Lopes are in their first year under head coach Kendra Potts, who came to the Lopes from Division II powerhouse West Texas A&M.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings are 5-0 all-time against Grand Canyon. Their most recent meeting came at the PDX Classic in 2021 when the Vikings beat the Lopes in five sets. The teams have never played each other at GCU's home arena, however.
 
MATCH #8: PORTLAND STATE (0-6) vs. PACIFIC (4-2)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO ($5 charge)
DETAILS: Saturday, Sept. 14, 4:30 p.m. PT, Phoenix, Ariz. (Global Credit Union Arena at GCU)
SCOUTING PACIFIC: The Pacific Tigers went 1-2 at the Rebel Challenge Tournament to open the season, losing to Iowa State (3-2) and host UNLV (3-0) while beating Northwestern (3-2). They followed up by sweeping all three matches at the College of Charleston Classic, beating Yale (3-2), South Carolina-Upstate (3-2) and the College of Charleston (3-1). Heading into the season, West Coast Conference coaches picked the Tigers to finish tied for fourth in the conference, alongside Oregon State. Senior setter Jenna Heller earned All-WCC preseason honors, as well as redshirt senior outside hitter Alexa Edwards. Those two have led a potent offense for the Tigers so far this season. As a team, the Tigers rank third in the WCC with 12.9 kills per set while also ranking fourth in hitting percentage (.222). Edwards leads the WCC while ranking 62nd nationally with 4.04 kills per set. She also ranks second in the conference in both points (4.44) and attacks (10.9) per set. Edwards' kill total is nearly double that of her closest teammate as Darina Kumanova ranks as the Tigers' second-most prolific attacker with 2.15 kills per set. Heller, meanwhile, ranks fourth in the WCC with 8.63 assists per set. Defensively, Jayhlin Swain ranks third in the conference with 3.89 digs per set. The Tigers haven't been as prolific at the net where they rank 11th in the WCC with only 1.54 blocks per set. Emily Van Groningen leads the team with 0.78 blocks per set individually. The Tigers are in their 15th year under head Greg Gibbons.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Tigers, 4-3. They beat the Tigers in five sets in their most recent meeting, which saw them face off in the first round of the 2021 National Invitational Volleyball Championship in Ogden, Utah. The Tigers last beat the Vikings in 2012, when they swept them in their home gym.
 
MATCH #9: PORTLAND STATE (0-6) vs. BUTLER (2-4)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO ($5 charge)
DETAILS: Sunday, Sept. 15, 11 a.m. PT, Phoenix, Ariz. (Global Credit Union Arena at GCU)
SCOUTING BUTLER: The Butler Bulldogs went winless at the Lipscomb Invite to open the season, losing in four sets to then-No. 17 Arizona State and host Lipscomb, while falling in straight sets to Belmont. They followed up with a four-set loss to IU Indy, but then won both matches of a home-and-home series against Indiana State, winning in three sets at home last Friday, and then four sets on the road last Saturday. The Bulldogs will be the second BIG EAST Conference team the Vikings face during their non-conference schedule. The Vikings played DePaul out of the BIG EAST last weekend, losing in three sets to the Blue Demons. Butler was picked right behind DePaul in the BIG EAST preseason coaches poll. Statistically this season, the Bulldogs have been particularly strong at the net where they lead the BIG EAST and rank 30th nationally with 2.73 blocks per set. Destiny Cherry leads the conference individually while ranking 77th nationally with 1.26 blocks per set. Teammate Grace Boggess ranks fifth individually with 1.15 blocks per set. The Bulldogs have also been a pretty consistently tough serving team, recording at least five aces in five of their six matches, including a season-high nine in their three-set win over Indiana State last Friday. Lauren Evans leads the team individually with 0.55 aces per set, an average that ranks her third in the BIG EAST so far this season. Offensively, Abby Maesch leads the team with 3.55 kills per set, an average that ranks her fifth in the BIG EAST. Elise Ward ranks second on the team and 13th in the conference with 2.74 kills per set. In the back row, Lauren Evans leads the Bulldogs with 3.50 digs per set. The Bulldogs are in their second year under head coach Kyle Shondell, who was the 2022 AVCA National Coach of the Year for NAIA men's teams, when he coached at Indiana Tech.
ALL-TIME SERIES: This will be the first-ever meeting between the Vikings and Bulldogs.
 
STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings went 0-3 at the San Diego State Invitational last weekend, losing in three sets to Tulane and DePaul on Thursday and Saturday, while playing a close, five-set match against host San Diego State on Friday.
• The Vikings have been unlucky in their two five-set losses this season. They led 2-1 in both matches – against Nevada on Sept. 1 and San Diego State on Sept. 6 – but still lost both. The Vikings led in the fourth set of both matches, too. They led SDSU 18-15 in the fourth set this past Friday, and led 17-11 in the fourth set against Nevada on Sept. 1.
• The Vikings have been hard done by injuries so far this season. Freshman setter Allison Panter was set to play a big role in the Vikings' 6-2 formation this season but missed fall camp and the first weekend of the season due to an ankle injury. Redshirt senior Taylor Hunter had the Vikings out to an 11-7 lead in the fourth set against Nevada on Sept. 1 – at which point she had 13 kills on .478 hitting – when she went down with a knee injury.
• The Vikings are 0-8 in deuce sets – sets decided by two points – this season. That included four such sets last weekend at the San Diego State Invitational. The Vikings lost two deuce sets to Tulane in their 3-0 loss last Thursday. They then lost the fifth set to host San Diego State, 15-13, last Friday.
• Naomi White has been a breakout player for the Vikings this season. After playing in only six sets as a freshman, she's shifted into a starting role seamlessly and now leads the Big Sky in hitting percentage (.367) while ranking second on the team with 2.50 kills per set.
• Makayla Lewis reached 1,000 career kills against Nevada on Sept. 1. She leads the Vikings and ranks ninth in the Big Sky Conference with 2.86 kills per set so far this season. This season marks her return to play after the two-time All-Big Sky first-team selection suffered an ACL injury during the Vikings' opening match of last season.
• The Vikings have yet to win the opening set of any match this season.
• Five of six opponents have hit above .200 against the Vikings this season. The Vikings rank ninth in the Big Sky with an opponent hitting percentage of .262.
• Despite their high opponent hitting percentage, the Vikings have actually out-blocked their opponents in three of their six matches. That includes the Vikings' matches against Cal (9.0-to-7.0), Nevada (13.0-to-11.0) and San Diego State (9.0-to-6.0).
• Setter Ella Hartford ranks third in the Big Sky Conference with 8.09 assists per set.
• The Vikings were picked to finish fifth this season in the Big Sky coaches preseason 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 have tried several players in new positions this season. Carisa Barron came in as a setter/right side but spent fall camp playing on the left. Delaney Nicoll played on the right last season but has moved back to the left side where she played at Idaho. Cali-Jo Shigemasa came in as a freshman libero/defensive specialist but has filled in at setter through fall camp after classmate Allison Panter went down with an ankle injury on the second day of fall camp.
• The Vikings need 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.

 
SO CLOSE…
The Vikings have been agonizingly close to breaking through at times this season. They've played two five-set matches and were leading in the fourth set with a 2-1 lead in both matches. Against Nevada on Sept. 1, the Vikings led 11-7 in the fourth set when Taylor Hunter – who had 13 kills on .478 hitting to that point – went down with an injury, and the Vikings lost in five sets. Against San Diego State this past Friday, the Vikings led 2-1 and 18-15 in the fourth set when the Aztecs got hot and surged past the Vikings. The Vikings have at least been showing signs of improvements throughout their tough opening two weekends of the season. At the Rose City Showdown presented by Hotel Vance, the Vikings improved from match-to-match in both blocking (2.0 team blocks on Aug. 30, 9.0 on Aug. 31, 13.0 on Sept. 1) and serving (one ace on Aug. 30, six on Aug. 31, nine on Sept. 1). At the San Diego State Invitational this past weekend, the Vikings relied on some newcomers and found success. Sydney Stenson came off the bench for her most extensive action of the season and made an impact in the Vikings' five-set loss to San Diego State, recording seven kills on .357 hitting. Freshman Reese Biesemeyer also played well despite being thrust into a starting role due to Hunter's injury. Biesemeyer made the All-Tournament Team last weekend while averaging 1.91 kills per set on .359 hitting to go with 0.45 blocks per set.
 
VERSATILITY REQUIRED
A hallmark of the Vikings' teams under head coach Michael Seemann has been their versatility. The program will need that this season more than ever as the Vikings have shifted people around within their starting rotations. Carisa Barron played as a setter/right side hitter during three years at CSUN but trained on the left during fall camp. Delaney Nicoll, meanwhile, played on the right side for the Vikings last season, but has also shifted over to the left during fall camp. Either of them could play on the left or right this weekend. Additionally, the Vikings found some more versatility last weekend, as Sydney Stenson came off the bench to make an impact during the Vikings' five-set loss to San Diego State. All 14 players have already played for the Vikings this season, as the Vikings continue to use their non-conference schedule to find the right pieces that fit together.
 
GETTING DEFENSIVE
The major point of emphasis throughout fall camp for the Vikings was passing. Particularly on first contact. That remains an area of focus for the Viking coaches through the first two weekends of the season. Five of the Vikings' six opponents have hit over .200 against them, while the Vikings rank ninth in the Big Sky Conference with a .262 hitting percentage. Despite that, the Vikings have shown improvements at the net over the early part of the season. After only recording two blocks in their opening match against San Francisco, the Vikings have out-blocked three of their five opponents since then and finished level with another. The Vikings have out-blocked Cal (9.0-to-7.0), Nevada (13.0-to-11.0) and San Diego State (9.0-to-6.0) so far this season. Taylor Hunter was leading that effort with 1.33 blocks per set before suffering her injury against Nevada on Sept. 1. Fellow middle blocker Naomi White ranks second on the team with 0.86 blocks per set, while Sydney Stenson averages 0.75 blocks per set after coming off the bench last weekend. In the back row, Paige Stepaniuk leads the Vikings with 2.95 digs per set.
 
STRENGTH AT THE NET
The Vikings' middle blockers have been more a part of the offense than at any time over the past few seasons. Against Nevada on Sept. 1, Taylor Hunter and Naomi White combined for 28 kills on .500 hitting. That's more kills from their middle blockers than the Vikings got in any match last season. White led the Vikings with 15 kills on .519 hitting individually, setting career highs in both categories. White heads into this weekend leading the Big Sky Conference with a .367 hitting percentage while ranking second on the team with 2.50 kills per set. Freshman middle blocker Reese Biesemeyer, meanwhile, stepped up in her first action as a starter last weekend as she made the All-Tournament Team at the San Diego State Invitational. Biesemeyer earned that honor after averaging 1.91 kills per set on .359 hitting over the weekend. Her best match came against San Diego State last Friday when she recorded nine kills on .400 hitting.
 
PIN HITTERS
The Vikings' strength from the middle has opened things up for their pin hitters, who have worked to find their groove after a tough opening match. The Vikings were error-prone in their season opener against San Francisco on Aug. 30, hitting just .026 for the match after committing 16 attack errors in the opening set. But since then, the Vikings have hit .200 or better in four of their last five matches, including a season-high .259 in their five-set loss to San Diego State last Friday. Several different players have stepped up for the Vikings. Makayla Lewis leads the way, as she ranks ninth in the Big Sky with 2.86 kills per set. But last week, six different players, including Lewis, averaged at least 1.50 kills per set. That list included pin hitters Delaney Nicoll (2.36 kills per set last week), Carisa Barron (1.70 k/s) and Sydney Stenson (1.50 k/s), as well as middle blockers Naomi White (2.55 k/s) and Reese Biesemeyer (1.91 k/s).
 
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. She has 820 kills in a Portland State uniform, leaving her 52 away from entering the Division I top 10 at Portland State. She also ranks sixth in Division I career history for kills per set (3.33), as well as seventh in points per set (3.77). Additionally, her double-double against Tulane last Thursday (12 kills, 12 digs) was the 28th of her PSU career, moving her into a tie for eighth all-time at Portland State. She ranks tied for eighth alongside her former teammates Ally Wada and Parker Webb. Lewis could also join exclusive company in the 1,000 kills, 1,000 digs club, as she needs only 130 digs to reach the 1k mark in that category as well.
 
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
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.