2023-09-26 23:51:38
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FIRST SERVE
The Portland State volleyball team opened a nine-week marathon, otherwise known as Big Sky play, last week with back-to-back wins over Idaho State and Northern Colorado. The Vikings’ win over the Bears Saturday gave them a dose of revenge after Northern Colorado beat the Vikings in last year’s championship match.
Nice.
But they’re still only 2-0. It’s like running the first two miles of a marathon on pace. It’s definitely good, but there’s a long way to go. Marathon coaches would tell you to focus on the mile ahead of you. For the Vikings, that’s Sacramento State, which the Vikings will face Friday at 7 p.m.
Friday’s match will be a clash of 2-0 teams as the Hornets also swept their first two conference matches last weekend. The Hornets swept Northern Arizona at home last Thursday before beating Weber State in five sets on the road Saturday, coming back from a 2-1 deficit to win.
Beyond the 2-0 records for both teams, Friday’s match should also be a clash of styles. The Vikings represent one of the best offensive teams in the Big Sky Conference so far this season, while the Hornets are undoubtedly the best defensively.
The Vikings lead the conference in hitting percentage (.234) and aces per set (1.91) after last weekend, and also rank second in the conference in kills (13.0) and assists (12.3) per set.
The Vikings moved up the rankings after putting together their best offensive performance of the season against the Bears. The Vikings set season highs for hitting percentage (.328), kills (59) and assists (58) while hitting .400 or better in all three sets they won.
Gabby Hollins had 15 kills on .636 hitting against the Bears, a performance that earned her Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week honors. Her .636 hitting percentage not only represented a new career best, but it also went down as the third-best mark ever by a Viking in a four-set match. Hollins’ performance against the Bears came after she led the Vikings in kills (14), digs (11) and aces (5) in the Vikings’ four-set win over Idaho State last Thursday.
Sophia Meyers led all players with 17 kills against the Bears while putting a complete performance together from all six rotations on the floor. Meyers added 11 digs and four aces to her 17 digs, while also recording a career-best six blocks.
Delaney Nicoll had a breakout weekend across both matches last weekend. She opened with seven kills on .636 hitting against Idaho State last Thursday, then set a season high with 11 kills on .292 hitting against Northern Colorado Saturday. Lauryn Anderson also had her best offensive match of the season last weekend, recording a season high 10 kills on .667 hitting against the Bengals Thursday.
Sacramento State, meanwhile, will head into Friday’s match as the conference leader in opponent hitting percentage at .167. The Hornets also rank second in the Big Sky with 2.40 blocks per set. Both starting middle blockers rank in the top five of the conference individually, as Kalani Hayes and Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin rank third and fifth with 1.10 and 1.08 blocks per set, respectively.
Hayes was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week, opposite Hollins, this past week after averaging 2.38 blocks per set in her team’s wins over Northern Arizona and Weber State. In the Hornets’ five-set win over the Wildcats Saturday, Hayes set a career high with 12 blocks while the Hornets finished with 17.0 as a team.
Of course, the clash of styles will only go so far. The Vikings set their own season high for blocks against the Bears Saturday, finishing with 12.0 total blocks. They also recorded nine blocks in the three straight matches before facing the Bears, giving them an average of 2.60 blocks per set over their last four matches. For the season, the Vikings are now averaging 2.17 blocks per set, ranking them third in the Big Sky. That’s a huge jump from last season when the Vikings ranked last in the Big Sky with only 1.66 blocks per set.
The Hornets, for their part, aren’t slouches offensively, either. Bridgette Smith returned after being named to the All-Big Sky first team last season and leads the Hornets with 3.33 kills per set. Ellie Tisko also ranks second on the team with 2.56 kills per set, while Caitlin Volkmann ranks third with 2.37 per set.
So, it won’t purely be offense versus defense Friday. It’ll likely come down to who handles the ups and downs within the match.
That’s an attitude the Vikings have been practicing all season. They know they’re going to need it for their nine-week marathon through Big Sky play.
MATCH #1: PORTLAND STATE (9-4, 2-0) vs. SACRAMENTO STATE (9-7, 2-0)
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Friday, Sept. 29, 7 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
SCOUTING SACRAMENTO STATE: The Sacramento State Hornets opened Big Sky play with back-to-back wins over Northern Arizona and Weber State last weekend. The win over Weber State came on the Wildcats’ home floor and saw the Hornets erase a 2-1 deficit earlier in the match. The 2-0 start comes after a strong preseason for the Hornets in which they played a busy schedule of 14 matches. The Hornets swept a Power 5 school in Iowa at home on Aug. 26, and started the season 5-1. Their strongest showing during the preseason may have come in a loss, however, as the Hornets pushed then-No. 3 Florida to five sets on the road on Sept. 7. The Hornets’ strong start to the season shouldn’t come as a surprise given the number of returning starters they brough back from a team that went 10-6 and finished tied for fourth in Big Sky play last season. The Hornets returned all but one starter from that team, including their two All-Big Sky first-team selections from a year ago in Bridgette Smith and Kalani Hayes. All-Big Sky second-team selection Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin is also back at the other middle blocker position opposite Hayes. Hayes was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week Monday after averaging 2.38 blocks per set individually in the Hornets’ wins over Northern Arizona and Weber State. The Hornets’ strong defensive identity this season is consistent with how the Hornets have been in the past. This year, the Hornets lead the Big Sky with an opponent hitting percentage of just .167. They also rank second in the conference and 65th nationally with 2.40 blocks per set. Hayes and Kamba-Griffin both average over 1.00 blocks per set, as they rank third and fifth, respectively, with 1.10 and 1.08 per set. Caty Cordano leads the Hornets’ defense from the back row, as she ranks third in the conference with 4.13 digs per set. Offensively, Bridgette Smith leads the Hornets again with 3.33 kills per set so far this season. Ellie Tisko ranks second on the team with 2.56 kills per set, while Caitlin Volkmann ranks third with 2.37 per set. Setters Hailey Plugge and Kate Doorn have split time in the Hornets’ 6-2 formation, and average 5.60 and 4.48 assists per set, respectively.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Hornets lead the all-time series between them and the Vikings, 50-27. The Vikings have had a good run against the Hornets, recently, however, winning five of their last eight meetings including the last three straight. The Vikings also have some recent success at The Nest, the Hornets’ home gym, a place where they have typically struggled. The Vikings are just 6-25 all time at The Nest, but two of those wins have come in the Vikings’ last three road matches against the Hornets.
STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS
The Vikings have won five straight matches heading into the weekend. The win streak includes back-to-back wins over Oregon State – the Vikings’ first season sweep of the Beavers since 1986 – as well as a 3-1 win over defending Big Sky champion Northern Colorado last Saturday.
The Vikings set season highs for hitting percentage (.328), kills (59) and assists (58) against Northern Colorado Saturday. The Vikings hit .400 or better with 16 or more kills in all three sets they won.
The Vikings had three players finish with 10+ kills in both their wins over Idaho State and Northern Colorado last week. They only had one non-conference match with that amount of distribution before conference play.
Gabby Hollins was named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week after averaging 3.63 kills per set on .481 hitting in the team’s wins over Idaho State and Northern Colorado. Against the Bears, Hollins had 15 kills on a career-best .636 hitting percentage, the third-best mark ever by a Viking in a four-set match.
The Vikings have the two most recent Big Sky Offensive Players of the Week, as Sophia Meyers earned the honor before Hollins. Meyers and Ashleigh Barto swept the offensive and defensive player of the week awards following the Vikings’ sweep of Oregon State.
The Vikings set a new season high with 12.0 total blocks against Northern Colorado Saturday. The Vikings had recorded nine blocks in three straight matches before Saturday, giving them an average of 2.60 blocks per set over their last four matches. For the season, the Vikings are now third in the Big Sky with 2.17 blocks per set, a major jump from their average of 1.66 blocks per set during the regular season last year.
The Vikings rank in the top three of the Big Sky Conference in every major statistical category. They lead the conference in hitting percentage (.234) and aces per set (1.91).
The Vikings recorded 10 aces in both matches last week, with both being their second-highest total in a match after their 16 aces against Cal State Fullerton on Aug. 26.
The Vikings have been better at home than they have been on the road this season. The Vikings average 13.2 kills per set on .257 hitting and 2.41 aces per set at home. On the road, they average 12.1 kills per set on .189 hitting and 1.39 aces per set.
The Vikings have been bitten by the injury bug this season. Nine different players have missed at least one match due to injury or illness. That group includes last season’s All-Big Sky first-team selections Makayla Lewis and Madison Friebel, four-year starter Ashleigh Barto and freshman libero Paige Stepaniuk, who earned Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honors after the opening weekend of the season.
Sophia Meyers and Gabby Hollins give the Vikings two players in the top five of the Big Sky Conference for kills and points per set. Meyers ranks third in both categories, averaging 3.70 kills and 4.43 points per set. Hollins, meanwhile, ranks fourth in kills per set (3.48) and fifth in points per set (3.89).
Ashleigh Barto ranks second in the Big Sky in both hitting percentage (.366) and blocks per set (1.14). Barto missed the Vikings’ match at Idaho State last Thursday, but returned with a new season high of seven blocks against Northern Colorado last Saturday.
At 7-4 in non-conference play, the Vikings recorded their best start to a season since going 9-3 through non-conference play in 2017. Three of the Vikings’ seven non-conference wins came over Pac-12 schools between Oregon State (twice) and Utah (on Sept. 5).
The Vikings are coming off their first appearance in the Big Sky championship match since 2013. The Vikings led Big Sky regular-season champion Northern Colorado 2-1 in the championship match but dropped the next two sets to fall in five.
The Vikings followed their Big Sky tourney run with a second straight appearance in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). The Vikings were selected as host for the first two rounds of the tournament but fell in the first round to Santa Clara.
Four players – Ashleigh Barto, Madison Friebel, Makayla Lewis and Sophia Meyers – return from last year’s team. Friebel and Lewis made the All-Big Sky first team last season, while Meyers was a second-team selection. Barto is the most experienced of the four returning starters, having started at middle blocker for each of the past three seasons.
The Vikings have new starters at libero and right side for the first time in years. Ellie Snook had held down the libero spot since 2019, when she debuted and went on to be a three-time Big Sky Libero of the Year. Meanwhile, all-time points leader Parker Webb – except for the latter half of the 2018 season when she was injured – had been the Vikings’ regular starter on the right since 2017.
The Vikings added seven newcomers over the offseason between four transfers and three freshmen. Three of the four transfers joined the Vikings in the spring, as Lauryn Anderson (CSUN), Kate Hansen (Bellevue College) and VaiLin Tagaloa (UNLV) stepped into new roles with the Vikings. A final transfer, Delaney Nicoll (Idaho), joined the Vikings this fall alongside freshmen Devon DeNecochea, Paige Stepaniuk and Naomi White.
The Vikings are 38-24 over their last two seasons, as well as 23-9 in Big Sky play. The Vikings finished in the top three of the Big Sky Conference both seasons, after placing eighth or lower the previous three seasons.
OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER
In the Vikings’ current five-match winning streak, they’re hitting .281 with 13.4 kills per set. The Vikings have topped .300 in two of their five recent wins and hit .299 in one of the other three. So, the offense has been humming. Never more so than Saturday against Northern Colorado when the Vikings set season highs for hitting percentage (.328), kills (59) and assists (58) against the Bears. Gabby Hollins had 15 kills on .636 hitting against the Bear, with her mark of .636 representing the third-best ever by a Viking in a four-set match. The recent hot streak offensively means the Vikings now lead the Big Sky in both hitting percentage (.234) and aces per set (1.91). They also rank second in the conference in both kills (13.0) and assists (12.3) per set. The strength offensively comes in spite of frequent changes within the Vikings’ lineup. Nine different players have sat out a match at some point this season, a group that includes both returning All-Big Sky first-team selections in Madison Friebel and Makayla Lewis, as well as four-year starting middle Ashleigh Barto. Friebel’s first full match back came against Toledo on Sept. 14, which was the Vikings’ first win in their current five-match winning streak. Sophia Meyers and Gabby Hollins have been the steady presences for the Vikings amid the injuries. They both rank in the top five of the Big Sky for kills and points per set. Meyers ranks third in both categories with 3.70 kills and 4.43 points per set. Hollins ranks fourth in kills per set (3.48) and fifth in points per set (3.89). Barto has also been an efficient presence for the offense as she ranks second in the Big Sky with a .366 hitting percentage while averaging 1.70 kills per set. Fellow middle Lauryn Anderson had her best offensive match against Idaho State last week, when she set a season high with 10 kills on .667 hitting. Delaney Nicoll, meanwhile, averaged 2.57 kills per set on .400 hitting last week. Additionally, Friebel and fellow setter Ella Hartford both set individual season highs for assists Saturday. Hartford finished with 30 assists against the Bears while Friebel added 27. Hartford heads into the weekend ranked eighth in the Big Sky with 5.74 assists per set.
ACE IN THE HOLE
The Vikings’ best offensive weapon this season may not come from the front row. It might instead come from the end line where the Vikings have shown a killer serving instinct at times. The Vikings recorded 10 aces in both matches last weekend and are averaging 2.16 aces per set during their current five-match winning streak. The Vikings’ best serving match hasn’t come in their last five matches, however. That came against Cal State Fullerton on Aug. 26 when the Vikings set a near-record with 16 aces against the Titans. The 16 aces were one off the program’s three-set match record that has stood since 1995. Sophia Meyers had six aces in the match, the most by a Viking since Cheyne Corrado had seven against Oklahoma on Sept. 12, 2014. Meyers added another four aces Saturday against Northern Colorado, and now ranks third in the Big Sky and 57th nationally with 0.49 aces per set. Gabby Hollins also tied her career high with five aces against Idaho State last Thursday. Overall this season, the Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 33rd in the NCAA with 1.91 aces per set. Besides Meyers, Madison Friebel has seven aces in 20 sets so far (0.35 per set) despite missing the first seven full matches of the season. Kate Hansen and Hollins are both averaging 0.30 aces per set, while Lauryn Anderson and Paige Stepaniuk are averaging 0.28 and 0.25 per set, respectively.
WHY YOU SO DEFENSIVE, BRO?
The Vikings didn’t just set season highs on the offensive side Saturday against Northern Colorado. They also set a season high with 12.0 blocks against the Bears. It came after three straight matches with 9.0 blocks, which had been the Vikings’ season high until Saturday. All told, the Vikings are averaging 2.60 blocks per set over their last four matches and 2.17 for the season. That’s a significant jump from last season, when the Vikings ranked last in the Big Sky while averaging 1.66 blocks per set during the regular season. This year, they rank third in the Big Sky in blocks per set, while Ashleigh Barto ranks second in the conference with 1.14 blocks per set individually. They also rank second in the conference with 14.8 digs per set, as well as third in opponent hitting percentage (.193). In the back row, libero Paige Stepaniuk ranks eighth in the Big Sky with 3.28 digs per set, while Sophia Meyers ranks two spots behind her at 10th with 3.17 digs per set.
HOME/AWAY SPLITS
Before the team’s match at Oregon State last Thursday, head coach Michael Seemann challenged his team with the fact that they hadn’t won a true road match to that point in the season. The Vikings certainly responded, sweeping the Beavers in three quick sets. It was the Vikings’ first road win over Oregon State since 1986, and their first road sweep since 1980. The Vikings also pulled out a gutsy 3-1 win over Idaho State on the road in their Big Sky opener last Thursday. Even with those two breakthroughs, the Vikings still have better numbers in home matches versus than they do on the road this season. At home, the Vikings are averaging 13.2 kills per set on .257 hitting with 2.41 aces per set. On the road, the Vikings are averaging 12.1 kills per set on .189 hitting with 1.39 aces per set. The recent wins have helped bring those numbers closer together, at least. The Vikings hit .315 on the road against Oregon State on Sept. 14, which was a new season high at the time. They also have 17 aces combined in their last two road matches, after totaling just eight through their first three matches away from home.
SOPHIA MANIA
Sophia Meyers put together a complete match Saturday in the Vikings’ 3-1 win over defending Big Sky champion Northern Colorado. Meyers finished with a match-high 17 kills while adding 11 digs, a career-high six blocks and four aces against the Bears. The performance shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, however, as Meyers has been on a tear during the Vikings’ five-match winning streak. In that time, Meyers has averaged 4.16 kills per set to go with 2.89 digs, 0.53 blocks and 0.42 aces per set. That includes two standout performances against Oregon State in which Meyers averaged 5.29 kills per set on .277 hitting while earning Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week honors. For the season, Meyers now ranks third in the conference in three different stat categories between kills (3.74), aces (0.49) and points (4.41) per set. Meyers is also the only player in the Big Sky Conference to rank in the top 10 for both kills and digs per set, as she ranks 10th in the conference with 3.17 digs per set. Besides her performances against Oregon State and Northern Colorado, Meyers also has standout individual performances against Cal State Fullerton and Southern Utah. Meyers recorded six aces against the Titans on Aug. 26, the most by a Viking since 2014. Against Southern Utah on Sept. 1, Meyers finished with 20 kills on .295 hitting, the most kills by a Viking in a three-set match since 2010.
YO GABBY GABBY
Gabby Hollins had the best weekend of her career last week, as she was named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week after averaging 3.63 kills per set on .481 hitting against Idaho State and Northern Colorado. In the Vikings’ match against Northern Colorado Saturday, Hollins finished with 15 kills on a career-best .636 hitting percentage, the third-best mark ever by a Viking in a four-set match. Not bad for someone who did not play in a single match during the Vikings’ 2022 season. Hollins now ranks fourth in the conference with 3.48 kills per set, as well as fifth with 3.89 points per set. Her performance against Northern Colorado also overshadowed her showing against Idaho State two days earlier. Hollins led the Vikings in kills (14), digs (11) and aces (5), with her five aces tying her career high. Hollins also had a standout match against San Diego State on Aug. 27, leading the Vikings with 17 kills on a then-career-best .452 hitting percentage. She also led all players with 18 kills on .267 hitting and 12 digs in the Vikings’ 3-1, comeback win over Utah on Sept. 5. Over the team’s five-match winning streak, Hollins is averaging 3.44 kills per set on .427 hitting.
NOTHING’S MID ABOUT THESE MIDDLES
Portland State head coach Michael Seemann had high hopes for his middle blockers going into the season and those hopes have been realized. After averaging just 1.66 blocks per set during the regular season last year, the Vikings are up to 2.17 blocks per set so far this season, ranking them third in the Big Sky Conference. In the team’s five-match win streak, the Vikings are averaging 2.47 blocks per set with starting middle blockers Ashleigh Barto and Lauryn Anderson averaging 1.27 and 0.95 blocks per set individually during that time. Barto now ranks second in the Big Sky with 1.14 blocks per set this season, the best average of her career. Offensively, Barto also ranks second in the conference with a .366 hitting percentage while averaging 1.70 kills per set. Anderson, meanwhile, had her best offensive match of the season last Thursday against Idaho State. She finished with 10 kills on .667 hitting against the Bengals and is now averaging 1.20 kills per set on .370 hitting for the season. Freshman Naomi White started opposite Anderson with Barto out for the Vikings’ match against Idaho State, and posted two kills and three blocks in her first-ever start.
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
The top three teams (in some order) within the Big Sky Conference the past two seasons? Portland State, Northern Colorado and Weber State. So, the top three in this year’s Big Sky preseason poll? Portland State, Northern Colorado and Weber State. No surprise there. Northern Colorado topped the poll as the clear preseason No. 1 pick, garnering eight of the 10 first-place votes to finish with 80 points in the survey of conference coaches. Weber State finished second in the poll with one first-place vote and 69 points, while the Vikings finished third with 61 points.
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Sept. 23, 2023, Portland State 3, Northern Colorado 1: The Vikings won their first match against Northern Colorado since last year’s loss in the Big Sky championship match. The Vikings set season highs for hitting percentage (.328), kills (59), assists (58) and blocks (12.0) in the match.
Sept. 16, 2023, Portland State 3, Oregon State 1: The Vikings completed their first season sweep of Oregon State since 1986. The win came in front of 708 fans, the largest crowd of the season for the Vikings, as well as their second-largest crowd ever at Viking Pavilion.
Sept. 14, 2023, Portland State 3, Oregon State 0: The Vikings won their first road match over the Beavers since 1986, as well as their first road sweep since 1980. The Vikings held the Beavers to a season-low .090 hitting while setting a season high with a .315 mark themselves.
Sept. 9, 2023, Portland State 3, Toledo 1: The Vikings had three players finish in double figures for kills for the first time this season. Madison Friebel also played her first full match of the season after suffering a concussion during training camp, finishing with a double-double of 26 assists and 13 digs.
Sept. 5, 2023, Portland State 3, Utah 1: The Vikings erased a first-set loss to beat Utah for their first win over a Power 5 Conference opponent this season. The win marked only the second time the Vikings have beaten a Pac-12 opponent since 2017.
Sept. 1, 2023, Portland State 3, Southern Utah 0: Sophia Meyers led the Vikings with 20 kills against the Thunderbirds, the most by a Viking in a three-set match since Whitney Phillips had a pair of 21-kill performances in 2010.
Aug. 27, 2023, Portland State 3, San Diego State 0: Gabby Hollins, forced into a new role after Makayla Lewis’ injury two days earlier, had a career match, leading all players with 17 kills on a career-best .452 hitting. The Vikings hit .311 as a team, while out-acing the Aztecs 7-to-5.
Aug. 26, 2023, Portland State 3, Cal State Fullerton 0: The Vikings recorded 16 aces in a three-set sweep of Cal State Fullerton, putting them one off the program’s three-set match record that has stood since 1995. Sophia Meyers had six aces individually, giving her the most by a Viking in a match since 2014.
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