Portland State University Athletics

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland State volleyball team ran into a red-hot Utah Tech squad as the Trailblazers swept the Vikings 3-0 (25-14, 25-23, 25-14) Thursday at Viking Pavilion in what was both teams' Big Sky Conference opener.
 
The Trailblazers (8-3, 1-0) came into the match riding a four-game win streak, all of which came in 3-0 sweeps. Their sweep of the Vikings (4-8, 0-1), then, meant the Trailblazers have now won 15 sets in a row.
 
"We knew they were a good team. Defensively, they're very, very good," Portland State head coach Michael Seemann said after the match. "We have a lot of discovery ahead of us in terms of what we're able to do because right now it's not what we're doing."
 
"The list is long. And yet, I do think there are some bright spots appearing. It's just unfortunately not sustainable. Every aspect of the game has to improve."
 
Utah Tech controlled the match both offensively and defensively, outhitting the Vikings .260-to-.094. The Viking offense mostly came from the middle or right side. Jordyn Romano and Willow Watson tied for the team high with seven kills each with both coming from that side of the net. No other Viking had more than three kills in the match.
 
"The things that continue to haunt us is not terminal blocking and a lack of offense," Seemann said. "I felt like we were in system a lot and we just don't have the offense. There were bright spots and it was nice to see Jordyn come in and do well, but we got zero production out of our left sides and that's got to change. That's got to improve."
 
The Trailblazers came out firing. A 5-0 run broke a 4-all tie early in the first set and the Trailblazers didn't look back from there.
 
The Vikings responded well in the second set. Down 12-9, the Vikings won eight of the next nine points to take a 17-13 lead. Romano, who subbed into the match for the first time a few points before the start of the run, helped spark the rally with a kill. She'd finish with four kills on six swings in the second set alone, while also recording a solo block in the frame. That put the Vikings back within one at 23-22 after Utah Tech had retaken the lead. Two kills from Utah Tech's Nana Asiata around a service error finished it for the Trailblazers, though.
 
An early Utah Tech lead in the third set gave the match an air of inevitability as the Trailblazers closed it out from there.
 
Romano hit .500 while recording her team-high seven kills in the match. Watson hit .217 on her seven kills, while middle blocker Reese Biesemeyer hit .375 on her three kills.
 
Defensively, the Trailblazers owned a significant advantage at the net, out-blocking the Vikings 7.0-to-1.0. The Vikings' back row tried to make up for that. Libero Jessica Truong flung herself around the court, tying her career high with 20 digs to lead all players in the match. Ava Blascziek and Alivia Eikenberg also went into double figures with 13 and 12 digs, respectively.
 
Blascziek added 15 assists to her 13 digs, giving the senior her third double-double of the season and 17th of her career.
 
The Vikings will now look to be better in all facets Saturday, when they host Southern Utah for a 5 p.m. match at Viking Pavilion.
 
"We have to manage our errors better, and we have to be more efficient offensively," Seemann said.
 
"We've got to have the right attitude tomorrow and we've got to continue to have the growth mentality. That's what we have to bring into tomorrow's practice and get after it on Saturday."
 
MATCH NOTES:

• Thursday's match was the first-ever meeting between the Vikings and Utah Tech. It was also Utah Tech's first-ever Big Sky Conference match after the school joined the league over the offseason.
• The Vikings are averaging 9.5 kills per set over their last four matches. They were averaging 11.9 kills per set before that.
• Truong tied her overall career high with 20 digs, but also set a new career best in a three-set match. Her previous best in a three-set match was 19 against Oregon last Thursday.

 
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