Opportunity knocks

After a record-breaking regular season that ended with the team’s best conference tally of all-time, the Vikings are now setting their sights on procuring their first ever Big Sky Championship.

“We have one goal this year, and that’s the Big Sky title,” head coach Sherri Murrell said.

In her second season at the helm, Murrell led the Vikings to their second consecutive 20-plus win season, a first for the program since joining Division I in 1996-97. 

Though Murrell deserves a great deal of credit for reshaping the look and feel of the organization, she has had the luxury of an enormously talented roster headed by senior forward Kelsey Kahle and junior guard Claire Faucher, both unanimously selected to the All-Conference First Team. 

Kahle, who holds the school’s all-time scoring record, was also selected as the conference Defensive Player of the Year. 

Sophomore Kelli Valentine was also given Honorable Mention for All-Conference honors, marking the second Big Sky accolade for the forward, who garnered last year’s Outstanding Freshman award. 

Portland State will play their first game of the tournament tonight, when they take on the highest-seeded winner of the quarterfinals round.