Portland State’s women’s volleyball team participated in their final regular season home matchup on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at Viking Pavilion, succumbing to the Sacramento State Hornets in three straight sets.
The Vikings recently had their hopes of entering the playoffs dashed. The loss to Sacramento was one among many during a disappointing season where the Vikings struggled with injuries from the get go, playing 13 of their 16 Big Sky matches with four or more of their players watching from the sidelines.
Despite the bittersweet tone of the season, PSU took time to honor the senior athletes on the team before the Nov. 13 matchup took place.
Sarah Brennan, Haley Glass, Hadley Heck, Jenna Mullen, Whitney Turner and Katy Wilson were given framed jerseys preceding the match, which was the final time that any of them would play at home for PSU.
Senior outside hitter (OH) Jenna Mullen and middle blocker (MB) Katy Wilson had strong showings during their final home match, logging eight and four kills, respectively, as well as one block each.
Sophomore setter Maddy Reeb had a confident outing with 22 assists, one block and one kill. Reeb has impressed all season, proving herself to be a promising young talent on a squad that will be looking for new leadership with the impending departure of just under half their roster.
Other notable performances came from junior OH Toni McDougald (five kills, two blocks), and freshman OH Peyton McBride (6 kills, one ace).
The Vikings’ final Big Sky match—as well as their final match overall—will be held 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14 at Northern Colorado University in Greeley, Colorado.
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.