HUGE WIN! As long as they win next week, we get the regular season title again!
http://goviks.com/news/2010/11/13/WVB_1113101945.aspx
GREELEY, Colo. – Portland State rallied for a 3-2 victory at Northern Colorado on Saturday night, shocking the first-place Bears on their homecourt and putting the Vikings on the verge of another Big Sky Conference regular season title.
Set scores were 25-21, 19-25, 20-25, 25-21, 15-9.
Northern Colorado (22-6) was seeking to wrap up its first Big Sky title and needed a victory to do so. But Portland State's win puts both teams at 13-2 in the conference with one game left. Should the Vikings win at home next weekend versus Sacramento State, and the Bears win against Northern Arizona, Portland State (18-8) would be the regular season champs for the second straight year because they handed UNC both of its conference losses.
"Just a huge win," said Vikings Head Coach Michael Seemann by phone from Greeley. "For the first time this year I feel like we played for each other. We had a great defensive effort and I was pleased with our depth.
Portland State opened the match firing on all cylinders, hitting .424 and leading most of the way.
"Winning that first set definitely helped the girls believe they could win in this gym," Seemann said. "Northern Colorado didn't play bad at all in that set, but we just were lights out."
Northern Colorado answered back behind a noisy home crowd. The Bears hit .417 over the next two sets and didn't commit an attack error on 18 swings in set three.
The fourth set is when things turned back in the Vikings' favor. Up 21-18, PSU watched as Northern Colorado rallied to tie it up, prompting a timeout by Seemann. The break stopped the Bears' momentum cold and Portland State scored the final four points and then the first three of set five.
The deciding frame was knotted up at 7-7, before the Vikings scored three-straight points to take control. Christie Hamilton and Megan Ellis had back-to-back kills, and the Bears had a hitting error, putting Portland State up 10-7.
"Winning that first set definitely helped and then when we were down 2-1, it was gut check time. We had some key blocks in the fourth set to send it into five," said Seemann."
On a night where they needed their best team effort, the Vikings got it as several players put up huge numbers.
Whitney Phillips led the squad with 23 kills and added 13 digs, while Christie Hamilton added 15 more kills and hit .519. Lana Zielke chipped in 13 kills and hit .407, and Garyn Schlatter had a double-double with 49 assists and 11 digs.
Also for the Vikings, Diana Villalpando had 26 digs, and Ellis had 18 more and a career-high three service aces.
UNC was led by Ashley Licthenberg, who had 25 kills, six total blocks and hit .564. Amanda Arterburn led all players with 34 digs.
Four Northern Colorado players finished in double-digits in kills.
Portland State closes out the regular season at home against Sacramento State next Friday. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
NOTES: PSU won Big Sky regular season titles in 2007 and 2009 ... regardless of next weekend's outcomes, PSU and UNC will be the top two seeds in the conference tournament, Nov. 26-27, in Portland ... Portland State snapped a two-match losing streak in Greeley ... Phillips hit .310 ... Ellis added nine kills ... PSU hit .286. UNC hit .280.
http://goviks.com/news/2010/11/13/WVB_1113101945.aspx
GREELEY, Colo. – Portland State rallied for a 3-2 victory at Northern Colorado on Saturday night, shocking the first-place Bears on their homecourt and putting the Vikings on the verge of another Big Sky Conference regular season title.
Set scores were 25-21, 19-25, 20-25, 25-21, 15-9.
Northern Colorado (22-6) was seeking to wrap up its first Big Sky title and needed a victory to do so. But Portland State's win puts both teams at 13-2 in the conference with one game left. Should the Vikings win at home next weekend versus Sacramento State, and the Bears win against Northern Arizona, Portland State (18-8) would be the regular season champs for the second straight year because they handed UNC both of its conference losses.
"Just a huge win," said Vikings Head Coach Michael Seemann by phone from Greeley. "For the first time this year I feel like we played for each other. We had a great defensive effort and I was pleased with our depth.
Portland State opened the match firing on all cylinders, hitting .424 and leading most of the way.
"Winning that first set definitely helped the girls believe they could win in this gym," Seemann said. "Northern Colorado didn't play bad at all in that set, but we just were lights out."
Northern Colorado answered back behind a noisy home crowd. The Bears hit .417 over the next two sets and didn't commit an attack error on 18 swings in set three.
The fourth set is when things turned back in the Vikings' favor. Up 21-18, PSU watched as Northern Colorado rallied to tie it up, prompting a timeout by Seemann. The break stopped the Bears' momentum cold and Portland State scored the final four points and then the first three of set five.
The deciding frame was knotted up at 7-7, before the Vikings scored three-straight points to take control. Christie Hamilton and Megan Ellis had back-to-back kills, and the Bears had a hitting error, putting Portland State up 10-7.
"Winning that first set definitely helped and then when we were down 2-1, it was gut check time. We had some key blocks in the fourth set to send it into five," said Seemann."
On a night where they needed their best team effort, the Vikings got it as several players put up huge numbers.
Whitney Phillips led the squad with 23 kills and added 13 digs, while Christie Hamilton added 15 more kills and hit .519. Lana Zielke chipped in 13 kills and hit .407, and Garyn Schlatter had a double-double with 49 assists and 11 digs.
Also for the Vikings, Diana Villalpando had 26 digs, and Ellis had 18 more and a career-high three service aces.
UNC was led by Ashley Licthenberg, who had 25 kills, six total blocks and hit .564. Amanda Arterburn led all players with 34 digs.
Four Northern Colorado players finished in double-digits in kills.
Portland State closes out the regular season at home against Sacramento State next Friday. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
NOTES: PSU won Big Sky regular season titles in 2007 and 2009 ... regardless of next weekend's outcomes, PSU and UNC will be the top two seeds in the conference tournament, Nov. 26-27, in Portland ... Portland State snapped a two-match losing streak in Greeley ... Phillips hit .310 ... Ellis added nine kills ... PSU hit .286. UNC hit .280.