Complete Match Notes (PDF)

FIRST SERVE
It's good to take an honest look in the mirror every once in a while. The Portland State volleyball team did that after Saturday's loss to Pacific (Calif.).
 
"We had a very candid talk about how we need to operate better as a team and focus on execution," head coach Michael Seemann said about the meeting.
 
Consider it Seemann's Ted Lasso impression because, boy, did it work. The Vikings responded the next day with their first win of the season, beating Butler in four sets to cap the GCU Classic in Phoenix, Ariz.
 
They'll take that momentum now into an in-state rivalry week in which they'll face both Oregon and Oregon State. The Vikings host the No. 12-ranked Oregon Ducks Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Viking Pavilion. They'll then travel to Oregon State for a match at 6 p.m. Friday at Gill Coliseum.
 
The Ducks and Beavers present a new set of challenges. But the Vikings have to be feeling better about facing those challenges after finally breaking through with their win over Butler.
 
It was apparent something had changed early in Sunday's match. The Vikings hadn't won the opening set of any match heading into Sunday, and yet came out and cruised to a 25-17 first-set victory over Butler. The Vikings established two things in that first set that would carry over the whole match: 1) they weren't going to let Butler hit a high percentage like previous opponents had done; and 2) they were going to block anything they could at the net. Sure enough, the Vikings outhit Butler .241-to-.029 in the opening set and recorded four blocks in their first eight points of the match.
 
The Vikings finished the match with 14 blocks – a season high – with sophomore Naomi White leading the way with a career-high nine blocks individually. White and the other Vikings' presence at the net helped the team hold Butler to .138 hitting Sunday, a season low for a Viking opponent by 43 percentage points.
 
Elsewhere, Carisa Barron led the Vikings in both kills (13) and digs (14) while fellow outside hitter Makayla Lewis joined her with a double-double of her own with 10 kills and 11 digs. Four different Vikings recorded at least eight kills in the match between Barron (13), Lewis (10), White (9) and Delaney Nicoll (8). What's more, no Viking hit below .175 in the match, no small feat as the Vikings have hit below that mark as a team in four of their nine matches so far this season.
 
Setter Ella Hartford led the even distribution with what was likely her best all-around match of the season. She nearly posted a double-double with 39 assists and nine digs while setting or tying career highs for blocks (5), aces (3), kills (2) and points (7.5).
 
The Ducks will make it difficult for the Vikings to go back-to-back when they come into Viking Pavilion Wednesday. Oregon's lone loss this season came to the current No. 1-ranked team nationally in Pittsburgh. That loss came in their opening match of the season, while the Ducks have followed with six straight wins, including a five-set win over then-No. 17 BYU last weekend.
 
The Ducks are coming off back-to-back NCAA Elite Eight appearances the past two seasons, though they'll need to replace some starters this season. Five of their six AVCA All-Americans from a year ago have graduated. The Ducks returned Mimi Colyer, however, who was an AVCA All-American honorable mention last season and was the AVCA National Freshman of the Year two seasons ago.
 
Colyer has led the Ducks with 3.65 kills per set so far this season. Middle blocker Onye Ofoegbu ranks second on the team with 2.58 kills per set while hitting .455, a mark that ranks her third in the Big Ten and 15th nationally in the category. Setter Cristin Cline, a redshirt freshman who sat behind AVCA first-team All-American Hannah Pukis last season, ranks third in the Big Ten and 10th nationally with 10.96 assists per set.
 
As a team, the Ducks rank in the top 20 nationally in both blocks per set (2.94, 12th nationally) and hitting percentage (.283, 16th nationally). They also rank 36th nationally with an opponent hitting percentage of .155.
 
The Beavers have had the opposite start to the season as the Ducks. They won their season opener against Fresno State, 3-1, on Aug. 30, but have since dropped their last six matches. That includes a four-set loss to Montana out of the Big Sky Conference on Sept. 1. Both the Beavers and Vikings also lost five-set matches to Nevada. The Vikings lost to the Wolf Pack at home on Sept. 1, while the Beavers lost a neutral-site match in Bakersfield, Calif., on Sept. 6.
 
The Beavers placed two players on the All-West Coast Conference Preseason Team before the start of the season. Senior opposite hitter Annika Hester and junior middle blocker Lauren Rumel both made the team and have been performing to that level to start the season despite the team's struggles at times. Rumel ranks second in the WCC in kills per set (3.54), as well as third in points per set (4.00). Hester, meanwhile, ranks second on the team with 2.89 kills per set.
 
As a team, the Beavers could give the Vikings trouble from the service line, as they rank third in the WCC with 1.64 aces per set.
 
The Vikings passed the ball well in their win over Butler, though. That allowed them to get the ball all around the court, and it led to the win.
 
And there's no reason to stop at one.
 
MATCH #10: PORTLAND STATE (1-8) vs. #12 OREGON (6-1)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Wednesday, Sept. 18, 7 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
SCOUTING OREGON: The No. 12-ranked Oregon Ducks come into Wednesday's match having won six in a row. The Ducks dropped their season opener to Pittsburgh – currently ranked No. 1 in the AVCA Top 25 – in three sets on Aug. 30. Since then, they've beaten Long Beach State (3-0), Colorado State (3-1), Grand Canyon (3-2), Central Arkansas (3-0), No. 17 BYU (3-2) and San Diego (3-0). The Ducks are coming off back-to-back NCAA Elite Eight appearances the past two seasons and were picked to finish sixth in their first year in the new 18-team Big Ten Conference. They return nine letterwinners from last year's team, including Preseason All-Big Ten selection Mimi Colyer. Colyer – an AVCA All-American honorable mention last season, a year after she was the AVCA National Freshman of the Year – leads the Ducks with 3.65 kills per set so far this season. Middle blocker Onye Ofoegbu ranks second on the team with 2.58 kills per set while hitting .455. Ofoegbu's hitting percentage ranks her third in the Big Ten and 15th nationally through the early part of the season. Opposite Noemie Glover and outside hitter Michelle Ohwobete rank third and fourth on the Ducks' team with 2.46 and 2.45 kills per set, respectively. Setter Cristin Cline, who redshirted last season while first-team All-American Hannah Pukis wrapped up her career with the Ducks, ranks third in the Big Ten and 10th nationally with 10.96 assists per set. As a team, the Ducks' strength at the net means they rank in the top 20 nationally in both blocks per set (2.94, 12th nationally) and hitting percentage (.283, 16th nationally). They also rank 36th nationally with an opponent hitting percentage of .155.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Ducks, 27-23. However, the Ducks have owned the series of late. All but one of the Vikings' wins came before the end of the 1987 season. The Ducks have won the last 11 matches between the teams, then, with the Vikings' last victory coming on Sept. 8, 2005.
 
MATCH #11: PORTLAND STATE (1-8) vs. OREGON STATE (1-6)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Friday, Sept. 20, 6 p.m. PT, Corvallis, Ore. (Gill Coliseum)
SCOUTING OREGON STATE: The Oregon State Beavers opened their season with a 3-1 win over Fresno State at the GCU Invitational in Phoenix, but have since lost their last six matches heading into a Tuesday night meeting with the University of Washington. The Beavers' early season schedule includes one match already against a Big Sky Conference team in Montana, which beat the Beavers in four sets at the GCU Invitational on Sept. 1. The Beavers also share a common opponent with the Vikings in Nevada. Both teams lost to the Wolf Pack in five sets with the Vikings dropping a home match on Sept. 1 while the Beavers dropped a neutral-site match on Sept. 6. The Beavers are competing within the West Coast Conference this season. WCC coaches picked the Beavers to finish in a tie for fourth with Pacific (Calif.), who the Vikings lost to in straight sets at the GCU Classic last Saturday. Senior opposite hitter Annika Hester and junior middle blocker Lauren Rumel both picked up All-WCC Preseason Team honors as well. Statistically, the Beavers rank highest within the WCC in serving, as they rank third with 1.64 aces per set. They also rank sixth in the conference in blocks per set (2.00), seventh in kills per set (12.2) and eighth in hitting percentage (.191). Individually, Rumel ranks second in the WCC in kills per set (3.54), as well as third in points per set (4.00). Hester ranks second on the team with 2.89 kills per set, while Zaria Thornton and Vivian Light rank third and fourth with 2.00 and 1.89 kills per set, respectively. Freshman setter Emma Lilo ranks fifth in the WCC with 8.18 assists per set. The Beavers have a number of new players on the team this season. Out of their 15 players, seven are true freshmen while three others are new transfers.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Beavers, 35-11. Despite that record, the Vikings hadn't beaten the Beavers since 1990 until two seasons ago when they beat the Beavers at home on Aug. 27, 2022. The Vikings followed that up by sweeping the Beavers in a home-and-home series last season, giving them three straight wins in the series heading into Friday's match.
 
STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings broke through for their first win of the season Sunday, beating Butler 3-1 at the GCU Classic. The Vikings held Butler to .138 hitting – a season low for a Viking opponent – while setting a season high with 14.0 blocks as a team.
• Carisa Barron (13 kills, 14 digs) and Makayla Lewis (10 kills, 11 digs) both recorded double-doubles in the Vikings' win over Butler. Barron's totals in kills and digs were also team highs in both categories. Ella Hartford (39 assists, nine digs) and Naomi White (nine kills, nine blocks) nearly gave the Vikings two more double-doubles.
• Setter Ella Hartford had the best all-around match of her career in Sunday's win. In addition to her 39 assists and nine digs, Hartford set or tied career highs in blocks (5), aces (3), kills (2) and points (7.5).
• Four different players recorded at least eight kills for the Vikings against Butler between Carisa Barron (13), Makayla Lewis (10), Naomi White (9) and Delaney Nicoll (8). That doesn't count Reese Biesemeyer, who recorded six kills on a team-best .455 hitting. No Viking hit lower than .176 Sunday.
• Sunday's win came after a frank team meeting following Saturday's loss to Pacific (Calif.) at the GCU Classic that dropped the team to 0-8 to start the season. The 0-8 record was the longest winless streak to start a season for the Vikings since 2000 (0-25).
• The Vikings were a bit unlucky in two of their earlier losses this season before breaking through Sunday. They led 2-1 in both of their five-set 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 17-11 in the fourth set against Nevada on Sept. 1 and led SDSU 18-15 in the fourth set on Sept. 6.
• 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 won the first set of their match Sunday, the first time they had won the opening set in any match this season.
• The Vikings won their first deuce set – sets decided by two points – this season with a 26-24 victory in the second set against Grand Canyon last Friday. The Vikings are still only 1-10 in deuce sets this season.
• The Vikings have been strong from the middle so far this season. Middle blockers Reese Biesemeyer and Naomi White rank second and fifth in the Big Sky Conference for hitting percentage, hitting .395 and .319, respectively. The Vikings are averaging 4.15 kills per set from their middle blockers this season.
• Makayla Lewis reached 1,000 career kills against Nevada on Sept. 1. She leads the Vikings and ranks tied for 10th in the Big Sky Conference with 2.73 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.
• Seven of nine opponents have hit above .200 against the Vikings this season. The Vikings rank ninth in the Big Sky with an opponent hitting percentage of .245.
• Despite their high opponent hitting percentage, the Vikings have actually out-blocked their opponents in four of their nine matches. That includes the Vikings' matches against Cal (9.0-to-7.0), Nevada (13.0-to-11.0), San Diego State (9.0-to-6.0) and Butler (14.0-to-8.0).
• Ella Hartford ranks second in the Big Sky Conference with 8.45 assists per set.
• 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 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.

 
BREAKTHROUGH FOUND!
After two near victories, the Vikings finally got their breakthrough win Sunday against Butler. The victory followed a frank team meeting the Vikings held after their loss to Pacific (Calif.) the day before in which head coach Michael Seemann said they talked about how they can operate better as a team better and execute. The difference was immediately apparent as the Vikings won the first set against Butler, something they hadn't done in any of their previous eight matches. The Vikings established two things in that first set that would carry over the whole match: 1) they weren't going to let Butler hit a high percentage like previous opponents had done; and 2) they were going to block anything they could at the net. Sure enough, the Vikings outhit Butler .241-to-.029 in the opening set and recorded four blocks in their first eight points of the match. They would finish the match with 14.0 team blocks, a new season high, while holding Butler to .138 hitting, a season low for a Viking opponent. Naomi White led the effort at the net with a career-high nine blocks to go with nine kills. Carisa Barron (13 kills, 14 digs) and Makayla Lewis (10 kills, 11 digs) led the Vikings offensively with a pair of double-doubles. Setter Ella Hartford posted the best all-around match of her career, recording 39 assists and nine digs while setting or tying her career highs in blocks (5), aces (3), kills (2) and points (7.5).
 
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 at the SDSU Invitational (Sept. 5-7), 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 three weekends of the season. Seven of the Vikings' nine opponents have hit over .200 against them, while the Vikings rank ninth in the Big Sky Conference with a .245 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 four of their seven 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), San Diego State (9.0-to-6.0) and Butler (14.0-to-8.0) 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 1.06 blocks per set, after averaging 1.45 blocks per set this past weekend at the GCU Classic. Biesemeyer averages 0.69 blocks per set herself, while right-side hitters Delaney Nicoll and Sydney Stenson have added 0.59 and 0.54 blocks per set, respectively.
 
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. Freshman Reese Biesemeyer has provided her own spark since Hunter went down with an injury against Nevada. She ranks second in the Big Sky Conference with a .395 hitting percentage while averaging 1.73 kills per set. White ranks fifth in the Big Sky herself with a .319 hitting percentage while averaging 2.15 kills per set. As a group, the middle blockers are averaging 4.15 kills per set so far this season.
 
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 first few weeks of the season. The team's win over Butler helped provide a confidence booster for the team's outside hitters. Carisa Barron led the Vikings in both kills (13) and digs (14) during the match while fellow outside Makayla Lewis recorded a double-double of her own with 10 kills and 11 digs. All told, four different players recorded at least eight kills against Butler between Barron (13), Lewis (10), middle blocker Naomi White (nine) and right-side hitter Delaney Nicoll (eight). What was more encouraging beside the distribution is that every hitter hit above .175 for the Vikings Sunday. That's no small feat considering the Vikings have hit below that mark as a team in four of their nine matches. Lewis heads into this week leading the team with 2.73 kills per set, an average that ranks her tied for 10th in the Big Sky Conference. Barron ranks second on the team with 2.28 kills per set, while White (2.15 k/s), Nicoll (2.09 k/s) and Reese Biesemeyer (1.73 k/s) follow her.
 
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's 25 kills away from entering the Division I top 10 at Portland State. She also ranks seventh in Division I career history for kills per set (3.30), as well as ninth in points per set (3.72). Additionally, her double-double against Butler Sunday (10 kills, 11 digs) was the 29th of her PSU career, moving her into a tie for seventh all-time at Portland State alongside former teammate Sophia Meyers. Lewis could also join exclusive company in the 1,000 kills, 1,000 digs club, as she needs only 104 digs to reach the 1k mark in that category as well.
 
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
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.