Vikings Head into Big Sky Play This Week Looking for Greater Consistency

FIRST SERVE
Portland State head volleyball coach Michael Seemann knows two things about his Vikings at the end of non-conference play. One, they're talented. And two, he can still expect some growing pains as the Vikings enter Big Sky play this weekend between a home match against Idaho State Thursday (7 p.m. PT) and a road match at Montana State Saturday (6 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. MT).

Both the talent and the growing pains became apparent over the Vikings' final weekend of the preseason. While the Vikings pushed both Oregon and Oregon State to five sets in front of record crowds at Viking Pavilion, they had some fluctuations from set to set that led to them losing both matches.

The fact that the Vikings weren't just satisfied with the close matches against two teams from bigger conferences – the five-set match against Oregon was the Vikings' first since 2010, after all – was an encouraging sign in and of itself. But with more consistency, the Vikings could have won either or both.

The Vikings alternated sets with both teams. Against Oregon, the Vikings won the first and third sets before dropping the fifth. Against Oregon State, the Vikings won the second and fourth sets in forcing a fifth.

That's been the typical pattern for the Vikings this season. While the Vikings are just 3-8 in first sets this season, they're 8-3 in second sets. Those disparate records are reflected in the team's stats in either set. The Vikings are hitting just .154 combined across all first sets this season, but that number jumps to .272 in second sets.

The match against Oregon State marked the sixth time this season that the Vikings have dropped the opening set only to come back and win the second. That's a sign of the team's talent, but at the same time, the Vikings haven't often been rewarded for flipping the switch in the second set. In the six matches where they've leveled the match with a win in the second set, the Vikings are just 2-4. Three of those four losses have come in five sets, as did Saturday's match against the Beavers.

More consistent play across all sets will help the Vikings turn a corner. One aspect that was consistent for the Vikings last weekend was their play at the net. The Vikings matched both Oregon and Oregon State in blocks, even as both teams entered the week ranked in the top 30 nationally for blocks per set.

Naomi White led the way against Oregon, recording a match-high six blocks to go with eight kills on .500 hitting. She added another four blocks to go with eight kills on .467 hitting against Oregon State. Fellow middle blocker Reese Biesemeyer tied for the match high with six blocks against the Beavers while recording seven kills on .312 hitting.

Seemann would like to see the Vikings go to his middle and right-side hitters more. Even as the Vikings pushed the Ducks and Beavers to five sets, they did so while only averaging 9.00 kills per set offensively. Greater distribution should help that number go up as the Vikings enter Big Sky play.

The Viking offense will have to be better Thursday, as they face a third straight strong blocking team in Idaho State. The Bengals come into the match leading the Big Sky and ranked 17th nationally with 2.80 blocks per set. Jaydin Watts – the preseason Big Sky MVP – and Marci Bell have helped lead the way for the Bengals. Bell and Watts rank second and sixth in the Big Sky with 1.33 and 1.16 blocks per set, respectively.

Additionally, Watts ranks second in the Big Sky with a .408 hitting percentage offensively, while also leading the Bengals with 2.20 kills per set.

Outside of Watts, Ava Brickner and Bell rank second and third on the team with 2.23 and 1.96 kills per set, respectively. Meline Shulikov joined Watts on the preseason All-Big Sky team, but she only played in two of four weekends during the preseason.

Montana State, Saturday's opponent for the Vikings, had their own player on the preseason All-Big Sky team. Libero Lauren Lindseth made the team and has proven herself worthy as she leads the Big Sky while ranking 31st nationally with 4.56 digs per set. Lindseth has also contributed to the Bobcats' strong serving. As a team, they rank third in the conference with 1.68 aces per set with Lindseth and Teagan Jaynes both in the top 10 individually. Jaynes ranks sixth in the conference with 0.34 aces per set, while Lindseth ranks ninth with 0.32.

The Bobcats also played the Ducks and the Beavers earlier this season, losing in three sets to both. They'll be coming off their best win of the non-conference, however, as they beat Santa Clara in four close sets in Bozeman on Saturday.

The Vikings know a thing or two about close sets. They've played 14 two-point sets already this season, as well as five sets that went into extra points. The Vikings are 8-6 in two-point sets entering Big Sky play and 3-2 in extra-point sets.

That's helped them extend matches this season, or even win close matches like against Long Beach State on Sept. 4 where the Vikings won two of three sets by two points.

So, the talent is there for the Vikings. And with the start of the conference season, the Vikings have a chance to show it with greater consistency.

MATCH #12: PORTLAND STATE (4-7, 0-0) vs. IDAHO STATE (4-8, 0-0)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Thursday, Sept. 25, 7 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
SCOUTING IDAHO STATE: The Idaho State Bengals closed their non-conference schedule with a 2-1 weekend at the UniWyo Invite. They beat Portland, 3-1, Thursday, and Wyoming, 3-2, Friday, before losing in five sets to Long Beach State Saturday. The match against Long Beach State gives the Bengals a third common opponent with the Vikings. Both teams played California Baptist, San Francisco and Long Beach State. The Bengals went 0-3 against those three teams, losing in three sets to San Francisco, and five sets to both California Baptist and Long Beach State. The Vikings, meanwhile, went 2-2 against those three teams, splitting their two matches against California Baptist while sweeping Long Beach State a day before losing in five sets to San Francisco. The Bengals came into the season picked to finish tied for third in the Big Sky preseason poll. Jaydin Watts earned preseason MVP honors from the conference after being named to the All-Big Sky First Team as a sophomore last season. Watts has shown herself worthy of the preseason honor through non-conference play. She and Marci Bell have helped the Bengals into the Big Sky lead for blocks, as the Bengals rank first in the conference and 17th nationally with 2.80 blocks per set. The Bengals' strength at the net means they also rank third in the conference and 91st nationally with an opponent hitting percentage of .183. Bell and Watts rank second and sixth in the Big Sky with 1.33 and 1.16 blocks per set, respectively. Offensively, Watts ranks second in the conference and 39th nationally with a .408 hitting percentage, while she also leads the Bengals with 2.29 kills per set. As a team, the Bengals rank ninth in the Big Sky in most offensive categories between hitting percentage (.168), kills (11.3), assists (10.5) and aces (1.22) per set. Outside of Watts, Ava Brickner and Bell rank second and third on the team with 2.23 and 1.96 kills per set, respectively. Meline Shulikov joined Watts on the preseason All-Big Sky team, but she only played in two of four weekends during the preseason.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Bengals, 40-29. However, the Bengals have won the last three matches in the series, including a season sweep of the Vikings last season. The Vikings had won six in a row against the Bengals before then, with their latest victory coming on Sept. 21, 2023.

MATCH #13: PORTLAND STATE (4-7, 0-0) vs. MONTANA STATE (5-6, 0-0)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Saturday, Sept. 27, 6 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. MT, Bozeman, Mont. (Shroyer Gym)
SCOUTING MONTANA STATE: The Montana State Bobcats closed their non-conference schedule with perhaps their best win of the season, beating Santa Clara in four close sets in Bozeman on Saturday. The Bobcats' preseason also included a 3-0 weekend at the Gonzaga Tournament, including a 3-0 sweep of host Gonzaga to close it out. The Bobcats share two common opponents with the Vikings in Oregon and Oregon State. The Bobcats lost to both teams in three sets, while the Vikings lost to both in five sets. Coming into the season, Big Sky coaches picked the Bobcats to finish tied for seventh in the conference. Lauren Lindseth, a second-team All-Big Sky selection last season, was named to the preseason all-conference team. Lindseth appears on track for another honor this postseason, as she leads the Big Sky while ranking 31st nationally with 4.56 digs per set. The Bobcats' strength has been their serving, however, as they rank third in the conference with 1.68 aces per set. Lindseth and Teagan Jaynes both rank in the top 10 of the Big Sky for aces per set. Jaynes ranks sixth in the conference with 0.34 aces per set, while Lindseth ranks ninth with 0.32. Jaynes also ranks third in the Big Sky with 8.69 assists per set. Offensively, Karli Heidermann ranks sixth in the Big Sky with 3.24 kills per set. Elli Tufto ranks second on the team with 2.39 kills per set, while Joelie Spelts and Camryn Greenwald rank behind her with 1.78 and 1.75, respectively. Spelts also ranks eighth in the conference with 1.05 blocks per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Bobcats, 49-27-1. They won the teams' only meeting last season, a 3-2 come-from-behind road victory on Nov. 14, 2024. The Bobcats' last win against the Vikings came in Bozeman a year earlier, 3-1, on Nov. 18, 2023.

STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

The Vikings lost a pair of five-set matches last week to Oregon and Oregon State. Friday's loss to the Ducks marked the first time they'd push the Ducks to five sets since 2010.
The Vikings set a Viking Pavilion attendance record for a fourth straight season with 1,602 fans at Friday's match against Oregon. That surpassed the previous record of 1,340, set a year earlier in another match against Oregon on Sept. 18, 2024.
After their two five-set losses last week, the Vikings are now 1-4 in five-set matches this season. Their one win came against California Baptist on Sept. 12, while the four losses have come against Jacksonville State (Aug. 29), San Francisco (Sept.5), Oregon (Sept. 19) and Oregon State (Sept. 20).
Saturday's match against Oregon State marked the sixth time this season that the Vikings have dropped the first set only to level the match right away by winning the second. The Vikings are now 3-8 in opening sets this season, but 8-3 in second sets.
The Vikings are 2-6 when losing the first set this season. Their two comeback wins came over New Mexico and California Baptist on back-to-back days, Sept. 11-12, at The Joust Tournament.
The Viking averaged only 9.00 kills per set across both matches last weekend. Comparatively, Oregon and Oregon State averaged 13.1 kills per set against the Vikings, while outhitting PSU .263-to-.182.
The Vikings recorded 10.0 blocks in both matches last weekend, giving them six matches with 10+ blocks this season – two more than they had over all of last season. The Vikings head into this weekend ranked fifth in the Big Sky and 97th nationally with 2.31 blocks per set. Naomi White ranks fourth in the conference and 91st nationally with 1.22 blocks per set individually.
The Vikings out-aced Oregon 9-to-7 Friday. Sophomore setter Allison Panter set a career high while recording five of the team's nine aces. The Vikings now rank fourth in the Big Sky with 1.62 aces per set this season. Panter ranks second in the conference and 53rd nationally with 0.50 aces per set individually. Paige Stepaniuk ranks seventh in the conference with 0.33 aces per set.
Senior Tyra Schaub set or tied career highs for kills (15, tied), hitting percentage (.433) and digs (16) in the Vikings' match against Oregon State Saturday. Schaub is averaging career bests in all three categories this season with 2.09 kills per set on .194 hitting to go with 2.12 digs per set.
The Vikings have played 14 two-point sets already this season, though they didn't play a two-point set last weekend. They went 3-0 in two-point sets at The Joust Tournament, Sept. 11-13, including a 17-15 victory in the fifth set against host California Baptist. Overall, the Vikings are now 8-6 in two-point sets this season. They are also 3-2 in sets that go into extra points.
Freshman Alivia Eikenberg has led the Vikings in kills in seven of their 11 matches so far this season. She also has a team-high five double-doubles, including one last Friday with 12 kills and 13 digs against Oregon. Eikenberg heads into this weekend ranked fourth in the Big Sky in kills (3.26) and eighth in points (3.71) per set.
Naomi White and Willow Watson both rank in the top 10 of the Big Sky Conference for hitting percentage. White, after hitting .483 over both matches last weekend, ranks eighth in the conference with a .348 hitting percentage. Watson, meanwhile, ranks 10th in the league with a .291 hitting percentage.
Junior libero Paige Stepaniuk ranks sixth in the Big Sky Conference with 3.56 digs per set. She needs only 19 more digs to enter the career top 10 at Portland State for digs during the program's Big Sky era (1996-present). She already ranks eighth during the program's Big Sky era with a career average of 3.50 digs per set.
Head Coach Michael Seemann described his team's approach to fall camp as, "we've given up continuity for opportunity." To that end, all 16 players saw the court during the non-conference schedule. The Vikings played 12 or more players in five of their 11 non-conference matches and played 11 in three of the other six.
The Vikings have 11 underclassmen on their 16-player roster, while the Vikings' six true freshmen represent the program's largest freshman class since 2019. Additionally, out of the three returning starters from last season, only junior libero Paige Stepaniuk has more than a year experience starting for the Vikings.
Naomi White was named to the inaugural Preseason All-Big Sky Conference team before the start of the season. White, who was one of three middle blockers on the 10-member team, earned the honor after a breakout 2024 season in which she ranked fifth in the Big Sky in hitting percentage (.330) and ninth in blocks per set (1.04).
The Vikings lost their top two hitters from last season – Makayla Lewis and Carisa Barron – as well as 66.5 percent of their total kills in 2024. Naomi White and Reese Biesemeyer represent the Vikings' top two returning hitters after averaging 1.96 and 1.65 kills per set, respectively.
Head coach Michael Seemann needs 14 more wins to reach 300 in his Portland State career. Whenever he reaches the milestone, he will become the third different Portland State head women's volleyball coach to reach 300 wins. Seemann will join Marlene Piper (445 wins, program record, 1969-72 & 1974-83) and Jeff Mozzochi (317 wins, 1984-92 & 2001-06).
Big Sky coaches picked the Vikings to finish sixth in the 10-team Big Sky Conference before the start of the season. Weber State represents the Big Sky Conference favorites, topping the preseason coaches poll with five first-place votes.