PORTLAND, Ore. — A record crowd of 1,602 fans saw the Portland State volleyball team push in-state powerhouse Oregon to five sets at Viking Pavilion Friday, but the Ducks prevailed in the end, 3-2 (18-25, 25-12, 20-25, 25-13, 15-12).
 
Each set the Vikings (4-6) won brought with it its own share of history. The Vikings took the opening set, 25-18, winning their first set against the Ducks (9-1) since 2014. When the Vikings won the third set, 25-20, it marked the first time the Vikings had taken two sets off the Ducks since 2010.
 
At every point, the crowd helped push the Vikings against a Duck team that was receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25 earlier this week.
 
"We played hard. We gave the match our physical and emotional effort and we have a lot to be proud of," Portland State head coach Michael Seemann said afterwards.
 
"We had several moments when we could have executed a little sharper based on what we already knew from scouting and then what we learned about this team within the match. We will learn from those lessons."
 
Serving led the Vikings to both of their set wins. The Vikings recorded four aces each in the first and third sets, accounting for eight of the team's nine aces in the match. Additionally, the Ducks committed six of their 19 service errors in the opening set and added another two in the third.
 
Setter Allison Panter led the Vikings' efforts from the service line. Panter, who came into the match ranked second in the Big Sky Conference in aces per set, recorded a career-high five aces in the match. Libero Paige Stepaniuk added two aces while Reese Biesmeyer and Ava Blascziek had one each.
 
The serving emerged as a theme for the Vikings early on. Panter recorded the first of her five aces to level the opening set at 3-all. Stepaniuk put down back-to-back aces later in the set to give the Vikings a 17-10 lead, and they wouldn't let the Ducks closer than six points the rest of the way.
 
The tough serving fueled the Viking defense, as they held the Ducks to .200 hitting or below in the first and third sets. That was in contrast to the other sets when the Duck offense rolled, hitting .567 in the second set and .345 in the fourth.
 
The Viking defense was at its best in the third set, when they held the Ducks to .172 hitting while out-blocking them 4.0-to-0.0. Naomi White, Willow Watson and Reese Biesemeyer all had two blocks in the frame.
 
The Vikings equaled the Ducks – a team that came into the match ranked 25th nationally in blocks per set – with 10.0 blocks overall in the match. No small feat. White led the way with six blocks to go with her eight kills on .500 hitting in the match. Watson added five blocks from the right side, while Biesemeyer and Tyra Schaub recorded four and three blocks, respectively.
 
The Vikings' defense in the third set allowed the offense to post its best set of the match with a .310 hitting percentage in the frame. Alivia Eikenberg recorded six of her match-high 12 kills in the third set, while White went a perfect 3-for-3 offensively.
 
The Vikings stretched their lead in the third set behind an 8-3 run that put them up 17-9. White had a block and a kill during the run, while Panter recorded another one of her five aces.
 
The Ducks got back within three at 22-19 with a 5-0 run, but the Vikings responded with another kill from White, then closed it out behind kills from Eikenberg and Biesemeyer.
 
The Ducks rolled in the fourth set, outhitting the Vikings .345-to-negative-.167. They then took a 10-6 lead midway through the final set, before the Vikings got back within one with a 3-0 run that started with a. block and kill from White. The Vikings couldn't string more than one point together from there, however, as the Ducks closed out the match in five.
 
Statistically, the Ducks dominated offensively. They out-killed the Vikings 69-to-35 while outhitting them .299-to.138. The Vikings countered by out-acing the Ducks 9-to-7, while matching them at the net with 10.0 blocks.
 
Even as the Ducks' offensive ultimately proved decisive, the Vikings competed throughout the match, nearly earning their first win over the Ducks since 2005 and only their second since 1987.
 
The record crowd played a significant role in that. It wasn't just a record number of fans, but the atmosphere they brought.
 
"The energy in the gym was incredible," Seemann said of the crowd. "We absolutely thrived in that environment. We felt very supported."
 
Match Notes:

• The Vikings still lead the all-time series between them and the Ducks, 27-25, despite Friday's loss. The Ducks have won the last 13 meetings between the two teams, however.
• The Vikings have now set a new attendance record at Viking Pavilion in each of the past four seasons. Friday's record broke the previous mark of 1,340, which the Vikings set last year in another match against the Ducks on Sept. 18, 2024.
• The Vikings are now 1-3 in five-set matches this season.
• Eikenberg recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 10 digs to go with her team-high 12 kills.

Read Full Article