The Portland State Vikings volleyball squad suffered a heartbreaking loss to Weber State—ranked first in the Big Sky Conference—in a match Oct. 11 played here in Portland where the win consistently seemed to be either team’s to take. The loss put PSU in ninth place in the Big Sky Conference, with one win and six losses, during a season where wins have often been within sight but just out of reach.
The match extended to the full possible five sets, ending with a 15-10 loss in the final bout. Weber State performed like a well-oiled machine, delivering powerful kill shots that Portland often found itself unable to handle. They benefited from the strong performances of sophomore outside hitter (OH) Riley Roberts, who finished with 12 kills and 22 digs, and junior middle blocker (MB) Megan Gneiting, who netted 12 kills, 15 digs and seven blocks.
Despite walking away with the loss, the Vikings showed signs of confidence during the match against their conference leader, particularly during a strong 4th set where they led—at times—by as much as ten points. The Vikings featured stellar turnouts by freshman OH Peyton McBride, who finished with a monster 20 kills, 23 digs and two blocks, as well as sophomore setter Maddy Reeb, who assisted 50 of the Vikings’ total 95 points.
The Vikings will look to put this frustrating defeat behind them and seek a much-needed win against the Idaho State Bengals (2nd in the Big Sky Conference) on Saturday, Oct. 13 at The Viking Pavilion.
I am a Senior in the Applied Linguistics Bachelor of Arts program at PSU. I currently work as a linguistic grader with WeLocalize, an international localization firm. I am excited to start Vanguard’s brand new sports section, and I hope to cultivate it in a manner that best serves and represents PSU’s various student athletes. When I am not at work or at school, I spend my time obsessing over the Portland Trail Blazers—and the NBA in general—with my wife, Maggie.
