In what turned out to be a difficult weekend for Portland State fans, the volleyball squad continued their outstanding play and worked themselves into first place in the Big Sky Conference with just two games left in the season.
The Vikings easily defeated Northern Arizona on Saturday in three sets, 25-22, 25-20, 25-15. The win, coupled with Northern Colorado’s second defeat in as many games, moved the Vikings to a full game ahead of the Bears for first place in the conference.
Behind head coach Michael Seemann’s defense-first philosophy the Vikings have controlled opponents during the winning streak and have become the best team in the conference at both digs and blocks, the two main statistical defensive categories.
Saturday’s match indicated the progress that Seemann and his staff have made with a young frontline featuring just one junior, one sophomore and two redshirt freshmen.
Those players combined for six total blocks, with junior Erica Jepsen accounting for three herself.”Our defense was terrific tonight,” Seemann said. “We are still a little weak at the net, but we are improving and Erica is a big part of that improvement.”
Seemann also credited team passing as a key factor that does not necessarily translate into statistics very well.
“Our passing was great, that was a key to the game. When our defense is good, like it was tonight, we can do a bit more offensively,” Seemann said.
If a solid defense is the key component to successful offense, then junior outside hitters Jennifer Oney and Marija Vojnovic are the biggest beneficiaries of the back row’s solid play.
For the last 10 consecutive matches, either Oney or Vojnovic has led the team in kills, and the Lumberjacks found out that either player was capable at beating them, as both players had 13 kills while hitting nearly .300.
With just two games left in the regular season, Seemann is still tinkering with his lineup. Saturday’s match saw junior outside hitter Lindsey Steele return to her former spot on the court, playing all the way around.
Northern Arizona also saw Portland State experiment with using junior setter Savannah Reid and moving Nique Fradella, the Vikings’ usual stalwart setter, to outside hitter. Reid played well during her time on the court while Fradella demonstrated her versatility with seven kills.
“We are still figuring a lot of things our about our roster and our rotation,” Seemann said. “I am still not totally settled and I think the players know that. I don’t want them uncomfortable but I think we have good enough chemistry that we can make it work.”
Even as the Vikings focused on their defense, the offense certainly looked sharp Saturday night. Portland State hit .324 for the match.
“We were hitting our spots tonight,” Seemann said. “It is nice when you have good passing.”
With just two games over the next two weeks, Seemann said he plans to give the team some time off before they return to the court to face rival Eastern Washington, who currently sits at second place, and perennial conference powerhouse Sacramento State.
Both teams defeated the Vikings earlier this season.