VOLLEYBALL
The Vikings had their first home game on campus with classes back in session and swept Southern Utah 3–0 just like their last opponents. PSU dominated all around in all three sets (25–14, 25–16, 25–19). Senior Maddy Reeb had a total of 10 kills and three blocks. Senior Parker Webb had six kills and two blocks and led the team with three aces. Senior Zoe McBride and sophomore Ashleigh Barto both had four blocks.
Their 12–set winning streak was cut short when the Viks played the Lumberjacks of Northern Arizona. The Jacks won the first set 25–18 catching the Vikings off guard, but Portland State bounced back and won the next three sets (25–20, 25–21, 25–19). Outside Hitter Makayla Lewis led the team with 15 kills and one ace in that match. Parker Webb wasn’t far behind with 13 kills, three blocks and one ace.
Portland State Vanguard spoke with Webb and Lewis after the match.
“The first set we definitely came out a little bit slower,” Webb said, “but, for us, when we’re in a huddle and we’re talking to our teammates…we all know who we can be and what we work on every single day in practice. And if we just come through with that energy, there’s nothing that we should worry about. You have to want it more than the team that’s across from us.”
“It helps a lot to just have someone there to want you to do better,” Lewis said, “so our teammates are pushing us to want to get that same kill that we want to get—but it’s not only us enjoying that kill, everybody’s getting a part of it.”
With Northern Arizona holding a 4–2 conference record, this was the first challenge Portland State has had in a while.
“Every team is completely different, so we start off by scouting them, seeing what their hitters do, seeing what their blocks do,” Webb said. Regarding the team’s ability to make changes mid game, Webb spoke about their constant communication and ensuring that if “someone else is seeing something that we can’t see, we tell them.”
The Viks have now won five straight games and are currently sitting tied for second with Northern Colorado in the Big Sky Conference, at 5–1 and 11–6 overall. Weber State is still in first place with a clean 6–0 record in conference play. The Viks have a lot of volleyball to play with 10 games left of the regular season. They start their three–game road trip to Montana, Montana State and Sacramento, before they head back to the Pavillion to play Northern Colorado on Oct. 23.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
The Park Block Vikings played Montana on Oct. 3, resulting in a draw in double overtime. Portland State now has one win, one loss and one tie in conference play, making their overall record 3–6–1 with Montana now at 7–4–1 (3–0–1).
Abi Hoffman had three shots, with one shot on goal, that match and Chloe Huling had two shots, with one shot on goal. Even though Montana outshot Portland State 19 to 11, Vikings goalkeeper Sidney O’Billovich gave the team their first clean sheet of the season with nine saves in this match. The Viks came back home and couldn’t get it done with the Eagles, whose early goal in the minute 22 was enough to secure their win. This was a slow match with the Eagles having only 11 shots with six shots on goal, and Portland State having 20 shots with six on goal. Hoffman had almost all of the team’s shots on goal. Sophomore goalkeeper Sidney O’Billovich had a total of five saves in that match, leaving the Viks now 3–7–1 and 1–2–1 in conference play this season.
In their next match against the University of Idaho, Portland State completed a comeback win over the Vandals 3–2 in overtime. After being down 2–0 at the half, with Idaho goals in minutes 23 and 26, the Vikings turned things around with goals by Chloe Huling and a late, minute 94 penalty kick by Sienna Higginbotham to win the match. The Viks had a season high total of 28 shots in the match, with nine on goal, while Idaho only had 11 shots, though nine were on goal.
The Viks advance to 4–7–1 and 2–2–1 in conference play. With only 4 games left in the season, the Viks look to rise in the standings. Their next home game is Friday, Oct. 22, playing Southern Utah after a two game road trip to Idaho state and Weber State. The final match of the regular season is Sunday, Oct. 24, on home turf against Northern Arizona.
FOOTBALL
Portland State traveled to Moscow, Idaho to play the Vandals after an impressive 20–13 win. The Vandals dropped 21 points on the Vikings in just the first quarter, very reminiscent of the Hawai’i season opener. The Viks only scored 14 in the first half of the game, making the score 35–14 Idaho. After a quiet, non–scoring third quarter, Idaho eased up on their game and Portland State’s offense took control of the game in the fourth quarter.
PSU made 34 first downs and 2–4 on third down conversions that game, while Idaho only had 17 first downs and 1–1 on third down conversions. The fourth quarter was when the Vikings woke up and dropped 21 come–from–behind points. Quarterback Davis Alexander went long in the fourth quarter in a 71–yard pass to Mataio Talalemotu for a touchdown, to bring it to a one–possession game. The score was 35–28 Vandals with 11:16 left in the game. Idaho brought the lead back to two possessions after the Vikings 71–yard touchdown. There was only 7:50 left for the Viks to score 14 points to tie the game.
PSU made first down after first down with 4:55 left in the game. Alexander threw for 26 to Talalemotu to bring the game back to one touchdown. The Vikings’ defense forced Idaho to go fourth and seven in Vikings territory on the 30–yard line. The Vandals went for it on fourth, in hopes to win the game right there, right now. With only 1:21 left, the Vandals got their first down and then some. With 27 seconds left on the clock, the Vandals had the ball on the Vikings’ 10.
Instead of kneeling or wasting time on the clock, Idaho attempted to run it and make it a touchdown—except that didn’t happen. Idaho fumbled the ball which was amazingly recovered by the Vikings. The Viks didn’t have much time left and they were only down by a touchdown, looking to bring the game to overtime. Alexander—and the rest of the Viks—have a whole 97 yards to get to the Vandals’ endzone. First down by first down, the Viks made it to the 47–yard line with only two seconds left in the game.
Looking for overtime, Alexander had no choice but to throw a Hail Mary to the end of the field. Idaho swatted it and the clock went to zero. The Vikings have tied season–high for most points in a game at 35, the same points they scored in Hawai’i. But the Vikings couldn’t complete the comeback, losing 42–35.
The Vandals advance to 2–3, leaving the Vikings now 2–4 this season, 1–2 in conference play. The Vikings out passed the Vandals 424 to 288 and the Vandals outran the Vikings 236 to 164. Alexander went 32–48 with 424 yards and four touchdowns. Senior running back Malik Walker was a powerhouse with 26 carries for 126 yards. Junior wide receiver Mataio Talalemotu had 12 receptions for 196 yards. Wide receiver Beau Kelly, right behind him, had seven receptions for 119 yards. Kelly averaged 17 yards per carry that game. Both Kelly and Talalemotu had a pair of touchdowns to give the Viks their season high 35 points.
Portland State will now travel home next week, hosting the Idaho State Bengals on Saturday, Oct. 16. The Bengals upset No. 7 ranked University of California, Davis in a 27–17 win, giving them their first win of the season after four straight losses to start their season. The game starts at 2:05 p.m. at Hillsboro Stadium and on ESPN+.
