Vikings Turn Down Home Stretch of Season with Matches at Montana State, Montana

FIRST SERVE
The Portland State volleyball team enters the home stretch of the season as they kick off the final month of the year with a road trip to Montana State (Thursday, 6 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. MT) and Montana (Saturday, 6 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. MT).

The trip represents the first of three November weekends to finish the season. After they play the Montana schools, the Vikings host Idaho State (Nov. 12) and Weber State (Nov. 14) before playing at Southern Utah (Nov. 18) and Utah Tech (Nov. 20) to close the regular season. The Big Sky tournament starts the following Monday, Nov. 23.

The home stretch of the season will go a long way towards settling what is now a muddled middle of the Big Sky standings. The Vikings have played their way into that middle with their five-match winning streak, leaving them only a game out of second place at 7-5 in Big Sky play. Montana State, Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado all stand at 8-4 in Big Sky play, while the Vikings are tied with Weber State and Idaho State for fifth at 7-5. Those three have a four-game lead over Idaho, Eastern Washington and Montana, who are all tied for eighth at 3-9.

That's all outside of where the Vikings will be focused this weekend, however. They'll look to play the opponent in front of them, which will be hard enough in two raucous road environments.

The Vikings will hope that some of their strengths over their last three matches at Viking Pavilion travel with them.

They certainly pieced a lot together in their last match, pairing their best offensive showing in four years with their best defensive showing in 12 years in a 3-0 sweep of Idaho last Saturday. The Vikings hit .395 against the Vandals for their best hitting percentage since they hit .471 in another match against Idaho on Nov. 10, 2022. Meanwhile, the defense held Idaho to negative-.022 hitting. That marked the first time the Vikings had held an opponent in the negative since they held Eastern Washington to negative-.036 hitting on Oct. 11, 2014.

It wasn't just the hitting percentages, but the balance the Vikings showed against the Vandals. Left sides Alivia Eikenberg and Ashley Repetti combined with middle blockers Reese Biesemeyer and Brenna Coffman to record 36 of the team's 40 kills while hitting a combined .479 between them. Eikenberg and Repetti led the way with 11 kills each while hitting .435 and .417, respectively. Biesemeyer tied her season high with nine kills on .615 hitting, while Coffman finished with five kills on .455 hitting.

Defensively, Jessica Truong led the Vikings with 11 digs while playing right back alongside libero Paige Stepaniuk. Truong subbed in the back row for right-side hitter Willow Watson, as the Vikings played their second straight match exclusively in a 5-1 formation.

The 5-1 formation has typically led to better defensive performances for the Vikings, which they'll need on the road against a high-powered offense in Montana State. The Bobcats beat the Vikings, 3-0, in Portland on Oct. 10 behind an offense that hit .284 and put three different players in double figures for kills between Karli Heidemann (14), Elli Fisko (11) and Joelie Spelts (10).

For the season, the Bobcats rank third in the Big Sky in both kills (13.0) and assists (11.9) per set while they rank fourth in hitting percentage (.227). Heidemann and Spelts lead the team with 3.26 and 2.87 kills per set, respectively, ranking them sixth and 10th in the Big Sky.

The Grizzlies' biggest strength has come from the service line where they rank second in the Big Sky (behind the Vikings) with 1.57 aces per set. Setter Gracie Cagle ranks second in the conference and 69th nationally with 0.43 aces per set individually. Cagle has also helped the Montana offense rank fifth in the Big Sky in both kills (12.2) and assists (11.4) per set.

Where the Grizzlies have struggled has been at the net as they rank last in the Big Sky with 1.48 blocks per set. The Vikings certainly had the advantage at the net the last time they played them, out-blocking the Grizzlies 14.0-to-8.0 in a four-set win on Oct. 8. Biesemeyer led the Vikings with eight blocks in the match, while Coffman and Watson followed with six and five, respectively.

But the Grizzlies have been better at home, where two of their three conference wins have come this season. Additionally, the Vikings haven't won in Missoula since 2021, when they came back from a 2-1 deficit to win in five. The Vikings broke through on the road to start their current five-match win streak. A 3-0 sweep of Eastern Washington on Oct. 17 snapped a 12-match road losing streak, and the Vikings followed with a 3-2 win at Northern Arizona on Oct. 20.

Match that performance in Montana, and October's win streak will carry over into the home stretch of November.

MATCH #24: PORTLAND STATE (11-12, 7-5) vs. MONTANA STATE (15-8, 8-4)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Thursday, Nov. 5, 6 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. MT, Bozeman, Mont. (Shroyer Gymnasium)
SCOUTING MONTANA STATE:

The Montana State Bobcats had a four-match winning streak snapped with a 3-0 loss to conference-leader Utah Tech last Friday. Two of their four conference losses have come against Utah Tech, as they also dropped a five-set match at home to the Trailblazers on Oct. 15.
The five-set home loss to Utah Tech represents the Bobcats' lone conference home loss this season. Their other two conference losses both came on the road to Northern Arizona, 3-1, on Oct. 8, and Northern Colorado, 3-0, on Sept. 26.
The Bobcats beat the Vikings on the road, 3-0, on Oct. 10. They outhit the Vikings .284-to-.149 in the match while Karli Heidemann (14), Elli Esko (11) and Joelie Spelts (10) all went into double figures for kills.
Overall this season, the Bobcats have been one of the best offenses in the Big Sky Conference. They rank third in the league in both kills (13.0) and assists (11.9) per set while also ranking fourth in hitting percentage (.227).
Heidemann and Spelts lead the team with 3.26 and 2.87 kills per set individually, ranking them sixth and 10th in the Big Sky, respectively. Spelts leads the conference while ranking 32nd nationally with a .391 hitting percentage.
Setter Teagan Jaynes ranks second in the Big Sky and 85th nationally with 9.42 assists per set.
Defensively, the Bobcats rank sixth in the conference in blocks per set (1.97), seventh in opponent hitting percentage (.200) and ninth in digs per set (14.0).
Nicolette Noble ranks sixth in the conference individually with 4.10 digs per set.

SERIES NOTES:

The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Bobcats, 51-28-1. The Big Sky series is closer, but the Vikings still lead that 30-26.
The Bobcats beat the Vikings, 3-0, in Portland on Oct. 10. That snapped a three-match winning streak for the Vikings over Montana State.
The Vikings are 19-15 all-time on the road against the Bobcats, including a 3-0 sweep in Bozeman last season. The Vikings also beat the Bobcats, 3-2, in Bozeman in 2024, leaving them with wins in their last two road matches against Montana State.

MATCH #25: PORTLAND STATE (11-12, 7-5) vs. MONTANA (7-16, 3-9)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Saturday, Nov. 7, 6 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. MT, Missoula, Mont. (Dahlberg Arena)
SCOUTING MONTANA:

The Montana Grizzlies snapped a four-match losing streak with a 3-0 road sweep of Southern Utah this past Saturday. The Grizzlies' last two wins have both come over Southern Utah. Their only other conference win came over Idaho, 3-0, at home on Oct. 3.
The Vikings beat the Grizzlies in four sets in Portland on Oct. 8. They outhit the Grizzlies .194-to-.090 in the match with Maryn Hall (16), Alivia Eikenberg (14) and Willow Watson (12) all going into double figures for kills.
The Vikings set a season high with 14.0 blocks against the Grizzlies in their last match. Reese Biesemeyer led the team with eight blocks, but Brenna Coffman, Watson and Hall added six, five and four blocks, respectively.
The Grizzlies' biggest strength this season has been their serving. They rank second in the Big Sky (behind the Vikings) with 1.57 aces per set. Setter Gracie Cagle ranks second in the conference and 69th nationally with 0.43 aces per set individually.
Cagle leads the Grizzlies offense that ranks fifth in the Big Sky in kills (12.2) and assists (11.4) per set. Cagle ranks third in the conference with 7.77 assists per set herself. Leading attacker Delaney Russell ranks ninth in the conference with 2.89 kills per set.
Defensively, the Grizzlies rank fifth in the Big Sky and 50th in the NCAA with 15.4 digs per set. Libero Madeline Sanderson ranks second in the Big Sky and 21st nationally with 4.70 digs per set individually.
Where the Grizzlies have struggled has been at the net as they rank last in the Big Sky with 1.48 blocks per set. That's affected their opponent hitting percentage, as they rank 10th with opposing teams hitting .236 against them on average.

SERIES NOTES:

The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Grizzlies, 59-22, as well as the Big Sky series, 35-20.
The Vikings snapped a two-match losing streak to the Grizzlies with a 3-1 victory in Portland on Oct. 8.
The Vikings have lost three straight in Dahlberg Arena, however, where they are 16-16 all-time. The Vikings' last road win over the Grizzlies came in 2021, when the Vikings overcame a 2-1 deficit to win in five.

QUICK HITTERS
Team Notes

LAST WEEK: The Vikings extended their win streak to five matches with a pair of wins over Eastern Washington, 3-1, and Idaho, 3-0, last week.
WIN STREAK FACTS: The Vikings' five-match win streak matches their longest win streak since the Vikings won seven in a row between Oct. 1-27, 2022. The Vikings also won five matches in a row between Sept. 9-23, 2023. The longest win streak before 2022 came in 2013 when the Vikings set a Division I program record by winning 10 in a row from Oct. 28 to Nov. 29, 2013.
DOING THE HARD THINGS: Head coach Michael Seemann said after his team's win over Northern Colorado on Oct. 24 that the Vikings were "doing hard things." During their current win streak, that includes: snapping a 12-match road losing streak; beating NAU on the road at the end of a three-match, five-day road trip; overcoming two different deficits in their win over Northern Colorado; having other people step up after leading attacker Maryn Hall went down with an injury against Northern Colorado; and beating Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado despite being outhit in both matches. Those are all encouraging signs for a Portland State team that features 12 underclassmen on its 18-player roster.
BEST OFFENSE, BEST DEFENSE: The Vikings combined their best offensive showing in four years with their best defensive showing in 12 years while sweeping Idaho last Saturday. The Vikings' .395 hitting percentage represented their best mark since they hit .471 in another win over Idaho on Nov. 10, 2022. Meanwhile, the Vikings held Idaho to negative-.022 hitting. That marked the first time the Vikings have held an opponent in the negative since Oct. 11, 2014, when they held the Eagles to negative-.036 hitting.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior setter Ava Blascziek was named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week Monday. In addition to leading the Vikings to their best hitting percentage in four years, she posted a double-double of 37 assists and 14 digs while setting a career high with five kills on .417 hitting herself.
OFFENSIVE BALANCE: The Vikings not only hit a high percentage against Idaho, they did so while distributing the ball well. Left sides Alivia Eikenberg and Ashley Repetti both finished with 11 kills while hitting .435 and .417, respectively. Middle blockers Reese Biesemeyer and Brenna Coffman added nine and five kills while hitting .615 and .455, respectively.
IT'S SERVING ACES: The Vikings' current win streak included a season-high 14 aces against Northern Colorado on Oct. 24. Magdalena Ranitovic led the way with six aces, including five in a row in the fifth set to turn a tenuous 5-2 PSU lead into a sizable 10-2 advantage. As a team this season, the Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 92nd nationally with 1.61 aces per set. Ava Blascziek ranks tied for third in the conference individually with 0.39 aces per set. Ranitovic averages 0.50 aces per set but has only played in 28 sets of the team's 87 sets.
MENDOZA LINE: While the Vikings beat Northern Colorado recently despite the Bears hitting .240 against them, they are still better off this season when holding opponents below .200 hitting. The Vikings are 10-2 this season when doing so. They're a perfect 4-0 when holding their opponent below .100 hitting, as they did against Eastern Washington on Oct. 17.
VERSATILITY IN FORMATION: The Vikings played in a 6-2 throughout their recent road wins against Eastern Washington and Northern Arizona. They started in a 6-2 against Northern Colorado on Oct. 24 but switched into a 5-1 when Maryn Hall went down in the first set. They remained in a 5-1 for both matches last week. The Vikings' first two Big Sky wins also came when they played in a 5-1, showing that the Vikings can win in either formation.
LITTLE BIG LEAGUE: Head coach Michael Seemann has repeatedly praised the team's "littles" – the team's affectionate nickname for their defensive specialists – as one of their major strengths. Paige Stepaniuk and Jessica Truong have both started at libero this season and played well. They've also both subbed on as a back row sub when the Vikings play in a 5-1 formation. Truong leads the Vikings with 3.77 digs per set, ranking her eighth in the conference. Stepaniuk has been the primary libero for the majority of the last eight matches, however, and is averaging 3.83 digs per set over those eight matches.
BIESEMEYER GOES BEAST MODE: Junior middle blocker Reese Biesemeyer appeared to turn a corner early in Big Sky play when she put together a stat line for the ages in the Vikings' win over Southern Utah on Sept. 26. She recorded eight kills on .667 hitting offensively while setting a career high with 10 blocks at the net. She's gone on to average 1.21 blocks per set within Big Sky play while stringing together her best run of play to date as a Viking. She now ranks among the conference leaders in both hitting percentage (7th, .314) and blocks per set (6th, 1.03).
RIGHT SIDE, STRONG SIDE: While the Vikings may alternate between a 5-1 or 6-2, it's not for a lack of firepower on the right side. Willow Watson frequently has her best matches in Portland State wins. The Vikings are 5-1 this season when Watson records 10+ kills in a match, including 4-0 within Big Sky play. Katarina Kosic, meanwhile, is averaging 1.75 kills per set on .245 hitting as a freshman. She's recorded 10+ kills in three matches, including 11 kills on .647 hitting against UTRGV on Sept. 10.
BREAKING 200: The Vikings snapped a nine-match streak of hitting below .200 with their season-high .395 hitting percentage against Idaho. The Vikings are 5-1 when hitting .200 or better, but they've hit below .200 in 17 of their 23 matches.
OLIGARCHY OF OFFENSE: Seven different players have led the Vikings in kills this season. Including ties, that list features Alivia Eikenberg (nine times), Maryn Hall (six times), Willow Watson (four times), Ashley Repetti (four times), Katarina Kosic (two times), Brenna Coffman (once) and Jordyn Romano (once).
ROAD WOES: While the Vikings won their last two road matches, they've still been much better at home this season. The Vikings are 6-2 at home and 3-1 in neutral matches. In comparison, the Vikings are 2-9 on the road, with their two wins coming in their last two road matches.
YA DIG?: The Vikings set a season high with 98 digs in their five-set win over Northern Arizona on Oct. 20. They now rank seventh in the Big Sky with 14.7 digs per set.
IMPORTANCE OF FIRST SET: While the Vikings came back to beat Northern Colorado on Oct. 24, the numbers still show that the Vikings are much better off when winning the first set. They're 10-4 this season when winning the opener versus 1-8 when losing the first set. It was a similar story last year when the Vikings were 8-1 when winning the first set versus 3-16 when losing it.
FIVE-SET MATCHES: The Vikings' back-to-back five-set wins over Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado improved their record to 3-2 in five-setters this season. They dropped a five-set match at Idaho State on Oct. 3. They split two five-set matches over the opening weekend of the season, losing at Portland on Aug. 28 before turning around and beating Nevada two days later.
DEUCE SETS: The Vikings have played 20 sets decided by two points this season. The Vikings are 9-11 in those sets. They're 1-4 in matches where they lose the majority of the two-point sets, 3-1 in matches where they evenly split the two-point sets, and 1-3 in matches where they win the majority.
EXTRA-POINT SETS: The Vikings have played nine sets that went past 25 points, going 5-4 in those nine. The longest set the Vikings have played this season remains 27-25 (three times).
DEEP BENCH: All 18 players have played in a match this season. Sixteen of the Vikings' 18 players have already played in at least 20 sets.

Background Info

EXPERIENCE RETURNING: The Vikings returned five starters and their libero off last year's team that went 11-17 overall and 7-9 in Big Sky play.
SHAKING OFF THE INJURY BUG: The Vikings were pushing for a higher seed than they finished (T-7th) last season before injuries got the better of them. Starters Willow Watson, Alivia Eikenberg and Reese Biesemeyer all went down with injuries throughout the year. Watson went down in the team's third conference match – after the Vikings had started Big Sky play 2-0 – while the Vikings lost Eikenberg and Biesemeyer on the final weekend of the regular season. Starting setter Ava Blascziek also missed time at the beginning of the year.
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS: Big Sky coaches picked the Vikings to finish eighth in an expanded, 11-team conference this season. Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona – the defending Big Sky tournament and regular-season champions, respectively – topped the poll. The Bears edged the 'Jacks by three points, 88-85, despite both teams receiving four first-place votes. Idaho State and Montana, which earned two first-place votes, finished tied for third with 72 points each.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE: The addition of Utah Tech and Southern Utah to the Big Sky Conference – to offset the loss of Sacramento State – means the Vikings will play an 18-match conference schedule. That'll be the longest conference season for all Big Sky teams since they played a 20-match schedule in 2013 and 2014.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Vikings made their longest trip east since 2004 when they traveled to Chicago for a match at DePaul on Sept. 2, then a tournament at Northern Illinois, Sept. 4-5.
ROSTER SIZE: The Vikings have an 18-player roster for the first time in program history. The 18-player roster leans towards youth as the Vikings have six freshmen and six sophomores. Last year's six-member freshman class marked the Vikings' largest since 2019.