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FIRST SERVE

After playing four of its first five conference matches on the road, the Portland State volleyball team finally returns home this weekend for the first two of four straight at Viking Pavilion.
 
Whatever the Norse version of the Odysseus story is, that’s been the Vikings’ journey so far through Big Sky play. Maybe not the 20 years Odysseus was away from home, but it’s felt that way at times.
 
Even still, the Vikings emerged from their road-heavy start with a 3-2 conference record after snapping a mini, two-match losing streak with a 3-0 sweep of Idaho last Saturday. With four straight at home starting Thursday against Idaho State (7 p.m. start), the Vikings can jump back up the Big Sky standings in a hurry if they defend their home floor.
 
The Vikings have been doing that well so far this season. After dropping their season opener to Kansas State on Aug. 25, the Vikings have won five straight at Viking Pavilion. That includes Pac-12 wins over Utah (on Sept. 5) and Oregon State (Sept. 16), as well as a victory over defending Big Sky champion Northern Colorado, which beat the Vikings in last year’s Big Sky championship match. The home victory over Oregon State completed a season sweep of the Beavers – the Vikings’ first over OSU since 1986 – after the Vikings also beat the Beavers on the road two days earlier.
 
The team’s record at home bears out in their home vs. away stats. The Vikings average 13.2 kills per set on .257 hitting at home while adding 2.41 aces per set. When the Vikings play on the road, however, those numbers drop to 12.2 kills per set on .184 hitting and 1.55 aces per set.
 
So, consistency remains on the to-do list for the Vikings. The team found some needed balance against Idaho Saturday. No Viking had more than eight kills in the match while five had at least six.
 
The Vikings had gotten a little pin-heavy in their two matches before the sweep of the Vandals, so the balance was a sign of progress.
 
It’s easy to see how the Vikings can fall into being pin heavy, though. Sophia Meyers and Gabby Hollins both rank in the top five of the Big Sky for kills and points per set. Meyers ranks third in both categories with 3.57 kills and 4.28 points per set. Hollins, meanwhile, ranks fourth in kills per set (3.53) and fifth in points per set (3.93).
 
Jasmine Powell presented a third option for the Vikings at times last week, though. She subbed into Thursday’s loss to Eastern Washington late and made an instant impact. She followed with eight kills against Idaho Saturday, giving her 2.80 kills per set on .320 hitting across both matches last weekend.
 
Lauryn Anderson is also hitting .426 within Big Sky play, while fellow middle blocker Ashleigh Barto ranks fourth in the conference with a .340 hitting percentage across all matches this season.
 
The Vikings have the diverse set of weapons they need, then. They likely just need a solid passing game, something that has been easier for the Vikings to do at home than on the road so far.
 
Idaho State and Weber State should test the Vikings in that regard this weekend.
 
The Bengals’ 1-4 conference record belies how they’ve played at the start of the Big Sky season. They took a set off the Vikings in both teams’ Big Sky opener and pushed Weber State to five sets on Oct. 6. Counting only conference matches, the Bengals rank third in the Big Sky in kills (13.1), assists (12.1) and digs (15.6) per set, ahead of the Vikings in all three categories.
 
Jamie Streit leads the Bengals with 3.02 kills per set, ranking her 10th in the Big Sky this season. Streit hasn’t played in the Bengals’ last two matches, however. Marci Richins stepped up to lead the Bengals against Idaho on Sept. 30, finishing with 13 kills on .440 hitting. Four other Bengals had at least nine kills in that match between Sadie Bluth (12), Meline Robarge (12), Aliyah Sopo’aga (10) and Asiah Sopo’aga (9).
 
Bluth led the Bengals with 16 kills on .283 hitting in their five-set loss to Weber State. She will also be the one to test the Vikings’ passers most Thursday, as she ranks sixth in the Big Sky with 0.37 aces per set.
 
Saturday will feature an even stiffer test for the Vikings’ passers. Weber State comes into the weekend ranked third in the Big Sky with 1.69 aces per set, one of several categories in which the Wildcats rank highly, as they stand in the top three of the Big Sky in every major statistical category. They lead the conference in hitting percentage (.232) and digs per set (15.2), while ranking second in opponent hitting percentage (.171) and blocks per set (2.47). Offensively, they stand third in both kills (12.8) and assists (12.0) per set.
 
Individually, Dani Richins – the 2021 Big Sky MVP – leads the Wildcats with 3.31 kills per set, an average that ranks her seventh in the Big Sky this season. Richins also leads the conference while ranking 30th nationally with 0.50 aces per set.
 
The Vikings can strike the ball themselves, of course. Richins took over the Big Sky lead from Meyers, who still ranks second in the Big Sky and 50th nationally with 0.47 aces per set individually. As a team, the Vikings lead the conference and rank 22nd in the NCAA with 1.90 aces per set.
 
And those numbers have been even better at home where the Vikings will play four straight, starting with their matches against Idaho State and Weber State.
 
Tell Penelope and Telemachus that Odysseus is coming home.
 

MATCH #1: PORTLAND STATE (10-6, 3-2) vs. IDAHO STATE (3-13, 1-4)

LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Thursday, Oct. 12, 7 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion)
SCOUTING IDAHO STATE: The Idaho State Bengals’ 1-4 conference record so far is a bit deceiving considering some of their play within each of those matches. They took a set off the Vikings to open Big Sky play and did the same against Eastern Washington on Sept. 28, before turning around and beating Idaho in five sets on Sept. 30. Their best showing yet may have come last week when they pushed Weber State – currently tied for second in the Big Sky standings at 4-1 in conference play – to five sets on Oct. 6. The Bengals led that match, 2-1, as they held the Wildcats to .122 hitting or below in the second and third sets, before Weber State came back and won it in five. The Bengals are still a bit unproven on the road, however, as four of their first five Big Sky matches have come at home. They lost their lone conference road match so far this season, falling in three sets to Montana State on Sept. 23. The Bengals’ strong start to Big Sky play – despite their record – is reflected in the stats from their conference matches. Counting only conference matches, the Bengals rank third in the Big Sky in kills (13.1), assists (12.1) and digs (15.6) per set, ahead of the Vikings in all three categories. They also rank fifth in the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.200). Individually, Jamie Streit leads the Bengals with 3.02 kills per set, ranking her 10th in the Big Sky this season, though she hasn’t played since the team’s match against Eastern Washington on Sept. 28. Marci Richins stepped up to lead the Bengals against Idaho on Sept. 30, finishing with 13 kills on .440 hitting. Four other Bengals had at least nine kills in that match between Sadie Bluth (12), Meline Robarge (12), Aliyah Sopo’aga (10) and Asiah Sopo’aga (9). Bluth led the Bengals with 16 kills on .283 hitting in their five-set loss to Weber State. Asiah Sopo’aga followed with 13 kills, while Jaydin Watts added 12 and Robarge had 10. For the season, Bluth ranks second behind Streit with 2.58 kills per set, while Watts stands third with 2.17. Bluth also ranks sixth in the Big Sky with 0.37 aces per set, while Watts stands 10th in hitting percentage at .279. Other Bengals in the Big Sky top 10 include Aliyah Sopo’aga and Lauren Mena at sixth (6.35) and seventh (5.72), respectively, in assists per set, as well as Lily Liekweg at ninth in digs per set (3.46).
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Bengals, 40-26. They’ve won six in a row in the series, including a 3-1 road win over the Bengals on Sept. 21 earlier this season. The Bengals’ last win in the series came in five sets at Viking Pavilion on Nov. 14, 2019.
 

MATCH #2: PORTLAND STATE (10-6, 3-2) vs. WEBER STATE (11-5, 4-1)

LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
DETAILS: Saturday, Oct. 14, 7 p.m. PT, Portland, Ore. (Viking Pavilion))
SCOUTING WEBER STATE: The Weber State Wildcats have posted a hot start to Big Sky play, winning four of their first five matches. Their lone loss so far this season came at home against Sacramento State on Sept. 23, with the Hornets beating the Wildcats in five sets. Otherwise, the Wildcats opened Big Sky play with a 3-1 road win over Montana, then added sweeps of Idaho and Eastern Washington on Sept. 28 and 30, respectively, and a five-set win over Idaho State last Friday. The Wildcats also had a strong preseason, going 7-4 against non-conference opponents. The preseason slate included quality wins over UNLV, 3-2, on Sept. 2 and Utah Valley, 3-0, on Sept. 12. The Wildcats and Vikings played a common non-conference opponent in Utah, with the Vikings beating the Utes, 3-1, at home on Sept. 5, while the Wildcats lost to the Utes, 3-1, on the road on Sept. 15. Statistically, the Wildcats enter the weekend ranked in the top three of the Big Sky Conference in every major statistical category. They lead the conference in hitting percentage (.232) and digs per set (15.2). They rank second in opponent hitting percentage (.171) and blocks per set (2.47), and also stand third in kills (12.8), assists (12.0) and aces (1.69) per set. Individually, Dani Richins – the 2021 Big Sky MVP – leads the Wildcats with 3.31 kills per set, an average that ranks her seventh in the Big Sky this season. Richins also leads the conference while ranking 30th nationally with 0.50 aces per set. Outside of Richins, Baylee Bodily and Mia Peterson give the Wildcats two other players with more than 2.50 kills per set this season. Bodily averages 2.75 kills per set for the Wildcats, while Peterson enters the weekend at 2.53. Setter Kate Standifird spearheads the Wildcats’ attack as she leads the Big Sky and ranks 34th nationally with 10.3 assists per set. Middle blocker Brielle Rueckert also leads the conference with a .355 hitting percentage while contributing 1.66 kills per set to the offense. Defensively, Rueckert ranks fifth in the Big Sky with 1.08 blocks per set. Saane Katoa would rank even higher with her 1.26 blocks per set, but she’s only played in 39 of the team’s 62 sets this season. Standifird has contributed 0.85 blocks per set from the setter position. Libero Makayla Sorensen, meanwhile, ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 4.05 digs per set.
ALL-TIME SERIES: The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Wildcats, 41-22. The Vikings have won three of their last four against the Wildcats, including both matches last season via a pair of 3-0 sweeps. The Wildcats had dominated the series before that recent run, winning six straight against the Vikings from 2017 to 2021.
 

STORYLINES/STREAKS/RECORDS

• The Vikings snapped a mini, two-match losing streak with a 3-0 sweep of Idaho Saturday. The Vikings hit under .150 in their back-to-back losses to Sacramento State and Eastern Washington before bouncing back with a .267 mark against Idaho.
• Eastern Washington recorded 15 aces against the Vikings last Thursday, six more than any other opponent against the Vikings this season.
• After heavy reliance on the team’s pins in their back-to-back losses, five different Vikings recorded at least six kills against Idaho, while no player had more than eight.
• The Vikings are 5-1 at home versus 3-5 on the road this season after splitting their road matches at Eastern Washington and Idaho. Those records bear out in the team’s stats in home vs. away matches. While the Vikings average 13.2 kills per set on .257 hitting and 2.41 aces per set at home, they average 12.2 kills per set on .184 hitting and 1.55 aces per set on the road.
• The Vikings have recorded nine or more aces in four of their five Big Sky matches so far this season. They lead the conference with 1.90 aces per set as a team, an average that also ranks them 22nd in the NCAA.
• The Vikings rank fourth or better within the Big Sky Conference in every major statistical category. Besides leading the conference in aces per set, the Vikings rank second in kills (12.9) and assists (12.1) per set. They rank third in digs per set (14.8) and opponent hitting percentage (.197), and fourth in both hitting percentage (.222) and blocks per set (2.10).
• The Vikings’ average of 2.10 blocks per set represents a significant jump from their total last season. The Vikings averaged only 1.66 blocks per set during the regular season last year, meaning the Vikings are averaging nearly half a block more per set this season.
• 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 starting libero Paige Stepaniuk.
• 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 3.57 kills and 4.28 points per set. Hollins, meanwhile, ranks fourth in kills per set (3.53) and fifth in points per set (3.93). Hollins has had the hotter hand at the start of Big Sky play, as she’s averaging 3.68 kills per set on .305 hitting to Meyers’ averages of 3.21 and .144, respectively.
• Ashleigh Barto ranks fourth in the Big Sky in hitting percentage (.340) and fifth in blocks per set (1.09). Barto set a new season high with seven blocks against Northern Colorado on Sept. 23.
• Lauryn Anderson is hitting .426 in conference matches so far this season. That’s the best mark on the team in Big Sky play. She averages 1.37 kills and 0.42 aces per set against conference opponents to go with her high hitting percentage.
• The Vikings have yet to play a five-set match this season.
• 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.

 

ON THE OFFENSIVE

Saturday’s sweep of Idaho marked a return to form for the Viking offense, which had dipped in the team’s two recent losses to Sacramento State and Idaho. The Vikings hit below .150 in both losses – something they only did once during non-conference play – but responded with a .267 mark against the Vandals Saturday while sharing the ball so no one finished with more than eight kills while five had six or more. Overall, the Vikings rank in the top four of the Big Sky Conference in every major statistical category. They lead the conference in aces per set (1.90) while ranking second in both kills (12.9) and assists (12.1) per set. The Vikings had led the conference in hitting percentage before their low showings against Sacramento State and Eastern Washington, but still rank fourth in the conference at .222. The team’s 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. 9, and the team has hit .250 or better in five of the eight matches since then. 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 3.57 kills and 4.28 points per set. Hollins ranks fourth in kills per set (3.53) and fifth in points per set (3.93). Barto has also been an efficient presence for the offense as she ranks fourth in the Big Sky with a .340 hitting percentage while averaging 1.64 kills per set. Lauryn Anderson has upped her efficiency since the start of Big Sky play, as she leads all Vikings with a .426 hitting percentage against conference opponents. Friebel and fellow setter Ella Hartford also both in the top 10 of the conference for assists per set. Hartford ranked ninth at 5.44 assists per set, while Friebel stands 10th at 5.42 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 have recorded nine or more aces in four of their five Big Sky Conferences so far this season. For the season, the Vikings lead the Big Sky and rank 22nd in the NCAA with 1.90 aces per set. The Vikings showed their serving strength early in the season when they set a near-record with 16 aces against Cal State Fullerton on Aug. 26. 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’ second-best serving match of the season came against Northern Colorado on Sept. 23 when she finished with four aces against the defending conference champions. Meyers now ranks second in the Big Sky and 50th in the NCAA with 0.47 aces per set this season. She has been far from alone, however. Lauryn Anderson has eight aces so far in Big Sky play and ranks second on the team with 18 across the whole season. Gabby Hollins stands third on the team with 14 aces, while Kate Hansen and Ella Hartford have 12 each.
 

NET GAIN

A season ago, the Vikings finished the regular season dead last in the Big Sky Conference with 1.66 blocks per set. Six weeks into this fall, the Vikings rank fourth in the conference with 2.10 blocks per set. That’s an improvement of nearly half a block a set. The Vikings had been on a particular hot streak from the net before Sacramento State and Eastern Washington held them to 11.0 total blocks across their two matches against the Vikings. Before that, the Vikings had averaged 2.60 blocks per set over their previous four matches, including a season-high 12.0 against defending Big Sky champion Northern Colorado on Sept. 23. Individually, Ashleigh Barto ranks fifth in the Big Sky with 1.09 blocks per set, the best average of her four-year Viking career. Fellow middle blocker Lauryn Anderson averages 0.74 blocks per set, while right sides Jasmine Powell (0.52), Kendra Duffey (0.50) and Delaney Nicoll (0.46) have contributed to the team’s block as well.
 

HOME/AWAY SPLITS

The Vikings’ back-to-back losses to Sacramento State and Eastern Washington highlighted the team’s struggles on the road at times this season. While the Vikings are 5-1 at home and average 13.2 kills per set on .257 hitting with 2.41 aces per set in matches at Viking Pavilion, they’re 3-5 on the road where they average 12.3 kills per set on .180 hitting and 1.55 aces per set. The Vikings have still had bright spots on the road. They swept Oregon State on Sept. 14 for their first road win over the Beavers since 1986 and their first road sweep since 1980. The Vikings also beat Idaho State on the road, 3-1, on Sept. 21, before sweeping Idaho this past Saturday. Still, home has been a lot friendlier to the Vikings this season. The Vikings have won five straight at Viking Pavilion, including a second win over Oregon State – completing the program’s first season sweep of the Beavers since 1986 – and a win over a Northern Colorado team that beat the Vikings in last year’s Big Sky championship match.
 

SOPHIA MANIA

Sophia Meyers has been the six-rotation player the Vikings needed her to be since two-time All-Big Sky first-teamer Makayla Lewis went down in the team’s season opener. Against Northern Colorado on Sept. 23, Meyers did a little bit of everything. She finished with a match-high 17 kills while adding 11 digs, a career-high six blocks and four aces against the defending Big Sky champions. Meyers was at her best in the Vikings’ back-to-back wins over Oregon State earlier in the season. Against the Beavers, Meyers averaged 5.29 kills per set on .277 hitting while earning Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in her career. For the season, Meyers now ranks third in the conference in both kills (3.57) and points (4.28) per set. Meyers’ best weapon this season remains her serving as she ranks second in the conference and 50th nationally with 0.47 aces per set. Meyers had six aces against Cal State Fullerton on Aug. 26, the most by a Viking since 2014. She also had a standout performance against Southern Utah on Sept. 1 when she finished with 20 kills on .295 hitting. That was the most kills by a Viking in a three-set match since 2010.
 

YO GABBY GABBY

Gabby Hollins has gone from not playing a single match in 2022 to a top-five outside hitter within the Big Sky Conference this season. Literally. After sitting on the team’s bench during all of last season, Hollins ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 3.53 kills per set while also standing fifth in the conference with 3.93 points per set. Hollins has had the hot hand at the start of Big Sky play. She leads the Vikings with 3.68 kills per set on .305 hitting so far against conference opponents. The senior had recorded at least 14 kills in five straight matches before the Vikings’ match against Idaho Saturday when she still posted a team high of eight. Hollins’ best match of her career came in the Vikings’ second match of the conference season when she recorded 15 kills on .636 hitting against Northern Colorado on Sept. 23. Hollins’ .636 mark was the third-best hitting percentage ever by a Viking in a four-set match and resulted in her being named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career. Hollins has also had standout matches a number of other times for the Vikings this season. Against San Diego State on Aug. 27, Hollins led 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. She had 14 kills on .357 hitting in the Vikings’ second win over Oregon State on Sept. 16, and then followed with team highs for kills (14) and digs (11) while tying her career high with five aces against Idaho State on Sept. 21.
 

RAISING THE BAR-TO

Senior middle blocker Ashleigh Barto is averaging career bests in blocks per set (1.09), kills per set (1.61) and hitting percentage (.340). Not bad. It’s what the Vikings would want to get out of a four-year starter, for sure. Barto now ranks fourth in the Big Sky in hitting percentage and fifth in blocks per set. Her efforts at the net have helped the Vikings jump to fourth in the conference with 2.10 blocks per set as a team, a significant improvement over last season when they finished last in the conference with only 1.66 blocks per set. Barto was at her best this season when the Vikings beat defending Big Sky champion Northern Colorado on Sept. 23. She finished with a season-high seven blocks in that match while leading the Vikings to a season high as a team with 12.0.
 

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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