Complete notes (PDF)

FIRST SERVE
It's a new season for the Portland State volleyball team as the Vikings open Big Sky Conference play this week with a split weekend against Idaho and Montana. The Vikings play Idaho in Moscow at 6 p.m. Thursday, before coming home to host Montana at 5 p.m. Saturday.
 
Conference play represents a fresh start for the Vikings. All teams are 0-0 in the conference standings, no matter what they did during their non-conference schedule.
 
Of course, the Vikings used their non-conference schedule to build for this week and beyond. They knew they'd be doing that coming into the season, with only two starters back, others coming off injuries, and needing to integrate seven newcomers.
 
The Vikings took a step forward in that regard when they beat Butler on Sept. 15. They held the Bulldogs to .138 hitting – a season low for a Viking opponent – behind a season-high 14.0 blocks as a team. What's more, four different Vikings finished with at least eight kills in the match between Carisa Barron (13), Makayla Lewis (10), Naomi White (9) and Delaney Nicoll (8), while no Viking hit worse than .175.
 
Those improvements seemed to fortify themselves last Wednesday, when the Vikings hosted then-No. 12 Oregon in front of a Viking Pavilion record crowd of 1,340 fans. While the Ducks swept the Vikings, every set was competitive and included some especially strong moments for the Vikings. Those strong moments included out-acing the Ducks 6-to-2 in the match, while Lewis and Barron were the only two players in double figures for kills with 12 and 11, respectively.
 
The defense, and especially passing, remains the key for the Vikings' success this season. While the Vikings out-aced the Ducks, the Ducks still outhit the Vikings .301-to-.087 in the match. Against Oregon State, in the Vikings' non-conference finale on Friday, the discrepancy was even greater as the Beavers outhit the Vikings .351-to-.113. So far this season, the Vikings are 1-1 when they hold their opponents to under .200 hitting, but are winless when they don't.
 
So, it's clear where the Vikings' focus will be as they look to put their past work into action for the start of conference play.
 
Idaho will also be looking to turn over a new leaf with the start of the Big Sky schedule. The Vandals have an identical 1-10 record to the Vikings. They beat Siena on the road on Sept. 13 for their lone win. Otherwise, they lost nine of their other 10 matches in straight sets across a road-heavy non-conference schedule that saw them travel to Huntsville, Ala., Cedar City, Utah, Loudonville, N.Y., and Spartanburg, S.C.
 
Thursday's Big Sky opener will double as the Vandals' 2024 home opener, then. That could help spark the Vandals, who will head into Big Sky play ranked last in the conference in kills (10.0), assists (9.06), blocks (1.49) and digs (12.1) per set. They also rank last in the conference in hitting percentage (.152) and opponent hitting percentage (.267).
 
Individually, Zuzanna Wieczorek and Madu Fontes lead the Vandals with 2.62 and 2.54 kills per set, respectively. Fontes' best offensive skill may be her serving, however, as she ranks fifth in the Big Sky Conference with 0.36 aces per set.
 
The Grizzlies will present a stiff challenge in the Vikings' own conference home opener. Montana beat the same Oregon State team that just swept the Vikings last Friday, winning in four sets at the Grand Canyon Invitational on Sept. 1.
 
The strength of the Grizzlies through non-conference play has been their defense. They head into Big Sky play ranked second in the conference and 34th nationally with 2.63 blocks per set. They also rank third in the conference for opponent hitting percentage, as they're holding opponents to .185 hitting so far this season. Helping fuel their strong defensive numbers has been the Grizzlies' serving prowess, as they rank fourth in the Big Sky with 1.45 aces per set.
 
The Grizzlies also feature one of the standout players in the Big Sky Conference in Paige Clark. A three-time All-Big Sky selection (1x first team, 2x second team), Clark appears headed that way again this season as she leads the conference in both aces (0.47) and points (4.74) per set while ranking second in kills per set (3.87).
 
That's where the Vikings know they'll need to step up defensively against the Grizzlies Saturday. Both to stop Clark from the service line and also at the net.
 
They'll have no doubt learned from prior experiences during the non-conference schedule. You learn from the past and then wipe the slate clean for a new challenge.
 
PROMOTIONS
Saturday's match against Montana will be sponsored by OnPoint Community Credit Union. It'll double as a Back to School Beach Bash for students, as well. Students attending will get free sunglasses and pizza.
 
MATCH #12: PORTLAND STATE (1-10, 0-0) vs. IDAHO (1-10, 0-0)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Thursday, Sept. 26, 6 p.m. PT, Moscow, Idaho (Memorial Gym)
SCOUTING IDAHO: The Idaho Vandals have the same record as the Vikings, having gone 1-10 through non-conference play so far this season. Their one victory came in a true road match against Siena on Sept. 13, as they beat the Saints in four sets. Otherwise, nine of their 10 losses came in straight sets. Thursday's conference opener will be their first match at home this season. They traveled extensively during non-conference play, going to tournaments or matches in Huntsville, Ala., Cedar City, Utah, Loudonville, N.Y., and Spartanburg, S.C. Statistically, the Vandals rank last in the Big Sky Conference in kills (10.0), assists (9.06), blocks (1.49) and digs (12.1) per set. They also rank last in the conference in hitting percentage (.152) and opponent hitting percentage (.267). Individually, Zuzanna Wieczorek and Madu Fontes lead the Vandals with 2.62 and 2.54 kills per set, respectively. Fontes' best offensive skill may be her serving, however, as she ranks fifth in the Big Sky Conference with 0.36 aces per set. Taylor Brickey has been a solid third option within the Vandals' offense with 2.26 kills per set. Defensively, Emma Patterson leads the Vandals at the net with 0.94 blocks per set. In the back row, Ada Isik leads the team with 3.16 digs per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Vandals, 21-9. The series has been closer since the Vandals re-joined the Big Sky Conference ahead of the 2014 season, but the Vikings still lead the series, 8-6, since then. The Vikings have won four straight in the series heading into Thursday. The Vandals' last win was Jan. 25, 2021, when they denied the Vikings a potential reverse sweep in a five-set victory.
 
MATCH #13: PORTLAND STATE (1-10, 0-0) vs. MONTANA (5-6, 0-0)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Saturday, Sept. 28, 5 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
SCOUTING MONTANA: The Montana Grizzlies head into Big Sky Conference play 5-6 overall. They won two of three at the Kangaroo Classic in Kansas City, Mo., over their last weekend of non-conference play. That included a 3-1 win over host Kansas City on Sept. 20, a few hours after the Griz beat Bradley, 3-0, to open the day. The Grizzlies' other three non-conference wins came at home over Utah Valley (3-1) and Southern Miss (3-0), as well as a neutral-site win over Oregon State (3-1) in Phoenix, Ariz. The win over the Beavers gives the Grizzlies a victory over a team that beat the Vikings, as the Beavers swept the Vikings last Friday. Statistically, the Grizzlies have been especially strong defensively so far this season. They head into Big Sky play ranked second in the conference and 34th nationally with 2.63 blocks per set. They also rank third in the conference for opponent hitting percentage, as they're holding opponents to .185 hitting so far this season. Helping fuel their strong defensive numbers has been the Grizzlies' serving prowess, as they rank fourth in the Big Sky with 1.45 aces per set. Offensively, the Grizzlies only rank seventh in the conference in assists per set (10.8), as well as eighth in kills per set (11.4) and hitting percentage (.171). Individually, Paige Clark has been a standout for the Grizzlies. A three-time All-Big Sky selection (1x first team, 2x second team), Clark appears headed that way again this season as she leads the conference in both aces (0.47) and points (4.74) per set while ranking second in kills per set (3.87). Maddie Kremer ranks second on the Grizzlies' team with 2.61 kills per set, while Maddie Pyles stands third at 2.13. Defensively, Brenley Hansen and Sierra Dennison lead the Grizzlies at the net, ranking fourth and sixth in the Big Sky, respectively, with 1.38 and 1.13 blocks per set. Pyles has been solid at the net, herself, as she averaged 0.97 blocks per set from her position on the outside. Setter Casi Newman ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 7.97 assists per set, while libero Alexis Batezel stands third in the conference with 3.95 digs per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Grizzlies, 57-20. The teams have split their last four matches against each other, though, with both teams winning in their home gym. The Vikings have won their last seven home matches against the Grizzlies. Montana last beat the Vikings in Portland on Oct. 22, 2015.
 
STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings followed up their first win of the season – a 3-1 victory over Butler on Sept. 15 – with two in-state rivalry matches last week. The Vikings hosted then-No. 12 Oregon last Wednesday, before playing at Oregon State on Friday. A Viking Pavilion-record 1,340 fans attended the match against the Ducks, crushing the previous facility record for a volleyball match of 813.
• Both Oregon and Oregon State hit over .300 against the Vikings (Ducks .301, Beavers .351). Four of the Vikings' 11 opponents have hit over .300 against them so far this season, while nine of the 11 have hit over .200.
• The Beavers' .351 hitting percentage was a season high for a Viking opponent, thanks in part to a service game that recorded eight aces on the Vikings.
• The Vikings looked better against the 12th-ranked Ducks. They out-aced the Ducks 6-to-2, while outside hitters Makayla Lewis and Carisa Barron were the only two players in double figures for kills with 12 and 11, respectively. Delaney Nicoll added seven kills and a match-high 12 digs herself.
• Makayla Lewis needs only seven kills to enter the Division I career top 10 at Portland State. She would become only the second new entrant since 2014, joining her former teammate Parker Webb, who finished her career ranked second all-time.
• The Vikings were a bit unlucky in two of their earlier losses this season before breaking through against Butler on Sept. 15. 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 are 1-10 in the first sets of matches this season. Their one first-set victory came in their lone overall victory so far this season against Butler on Sept. 15.
• The Vikings are also 1-10 in deuce sets – sets decided by two points – this season. They recorded their lone deuce-set victory with a 26-24 win in the second set against Grand Canyon on Sept. 13.
• The Vikings have been strong from the middle so far this season. Middle blockers Reese Biesemeyer and Naomi White rank second and seventh in the Big Sky Conference for hitting percentage, hitting .355 and .302, respectively. White also ranks fourth on the Vikings' team with 2.03 kills per set, while Biesemeyer stands fifth with 1.56 kills per set.
• 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.
• Despite their high opponent hitting percentage, the Vikings have actually out-blocked their opponents in four of their 11 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 8.41 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 against Butler on Sept. 15. 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 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).
 
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 and 96th nationally with a .355 hitting percentage while averaging 1.56 kills per set. White ranks seventh in the Big Sky herself with a .302 hitting percentage while averaging 2.03 kills per set.
 
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 six of their 11 matches this season. That carried over into the Vikings' match against No. 12 Oregon last Wednesday, where Lewis and Barron led all players with 12 and 11 kills, respectively. Nicoll added seven kills herself while leading all players with 12 digs. Lewis heads into Big Sky play now leading the team with 2.77 kills per set. Barron ranks second on the team with 2.34 kills per set while Nicoll (2.08 k/s) follows her.
 
GETTING DEFENSIVE
The major point of emphasis throughout fall camp for the Vikings was passing. Particularly on first contact. That remained an area of focus for the Viking coaches throughout non-conference play, as there's still work to be done in that regard. Nine of the Vikings' 11 opponents have hit over .200 against them, while the Vikings rank ninth in the Big Sky Conference with a .257 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 10 opponents since 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 an injury against Nevada on Sept. 1. Fellow middle blocker Naomi White ranks second on the team with 1.05 blocks per set, though she's been even better over the last two weeks when she's averaged 1.29 blocks per set. Biesemeyer averages 0.69 blocks per set herself, while right-side hitters Delaney Nicoll and Sydney Stenson have added 0.63 and 0.50 blocks per set, respectively.
 
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. All 14 players have already played for the Vikings this season, as the Vikings used their non-conference schedule to find the right pieces that fit together.
 
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 seven 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 (3.29), as well as ninth in points per set (3.71). Additionally, her double-double against Butler on Sept. 15 (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 93 digs to reach the 1k mark in that category as well.
 
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
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.