Vying for supremacy

Two teams, separated by a 600-mile stretch of asphalt on Interstate 5, will meet Friday night in a match showcasing the Big Sky Conference’s two premier volleyball squads this season: Portland State and Sacramento State.

After easily sweeping cross-town rival University of Portland (30-28, 30-20, 30-21) on Tuesday night, Portland State (14-4, 7-0) heads south to take on the consistently challenging Sacramento State Hornets (18-3, 6-0).

Both squads come into the much-anticipated match with an opportunity to extend impressive winning streaks. The Vikings have notched 13 consecutive Big Sky Conference regular-season match victories, while the defending conference champion Hornets are currently on a 12-match winning streak of their own. Both teams are undefeated thus far in conference play this season, with the Vikings winning seven matches to the Hornets’ six.

Led by senior outside hitters Lindsay Haupt and Missie Stidham, Sacramento State is looking for its remarkable eleventh straight Big Sky Conference championship this season, and will obviously present a more formidable opponent for Portland State than several Big Sky teams the Vikings have defeated thus far.

This particular match up has had Portland State head coach Michael Seemann’s attention for a while.

“We have been preparing for them for a little bit now,” Seemann said. “They are obviously extremely talented, and the game will present a nice challenge for us.”

The match should serve as a measuring stick for the Vikings, who have only been tested by one conference opponent in seven matches this season.

While the outcome of the match will be unclear until later Friday night, a couple things are certain–there will be one less streaking team in the conference, and a favorite for the championship will be crowned.