Though the season is still a few months away, the Portland State volleyball team is already getting some match play in as they gear up to host the University of Washington Huskies in their second spring exhibition match on Saturday. After winning the Big Sky regular-season title last season, the Vikings have high expectations coming into 2013. The team will have plenty of experience to rely on this year, with six seniors suiting up for PSU this fall.
The Vikings won the regular season in dramatic fashion last year. Back-to-back losses in the second-to-last weekend paired with wins by the second-place Idaho State University Bengals put Idaho state ahead of the Vikings for first place. Going into the final weekend the Vikings needed a little help from Idaho State’s opponent, Eastern Washington University. And they got it, as the Eagles—who ended their season just 5-15—upset the Bengals 3-1.
With the conference title on the line, PSU took on Idaho State at home. After an injury in the third set sent Vikings star outside hitter Jaklyn Wheeler to the bench, sophomore Cheyne Corrado stepped in to replace her. Corrado came through in a big way, helping the Vikings to a 3-1 victory and the Big Sky regular season championship.
Unfortunately for PSU, their celebration was cut short as they fell in the first round of the Big Sky tournament to the University of Northern Colorado.
The Vikings graduated two important players—outside hitter Megan Ellis and setter Dominika Kristinikova. Ellis was second behind Wheeler in kills during the 2012 season, and Kristinikova was a crucial serving force for the Vikings, registering 19 aces on the year.
Garyn Schlatter, a starting setter for all of last season, and outside hitter Aubrey Mitchell will be key for PSU heading into the 2013 schedule, as will Kaeli Patton, who led the Vikings in service aces. Wheeler is still recovering from her injury and won’t be in action against Washington, but she expects to return to competitive play in June.
Defensively, the Vikings will have Kasimira Clark, 2012’s Libero of the Year, in the back row. She’ll be joined on defense by middle blockers Katie O’Brien and Leigh-Ann Haataja, both of whom contributed key blocks for the squad last season.
While Saturday’s meeting with Washington will not affect the standings, it will give the Vikings a good idea of where they stand going into 2013. The match is slated for April 27 at 1 p.m. in the Stott Center. Scores and stats can be found by visiting goviks.com.