GREELEY, Colo. -- Sacramento State played one of its best matches of the season, dominating the defending Big Sky Conference champion Northern Colorado. The Hornets swept the Bears on the road in a match that lasted just 1:19 by a 25-17, 25-22, 25-20 score.

Sacramento State hit .429 with 50 kills and just 11 errors in 91 swings. That hitting percentage is the second best mark of the season, and tied for eighth best in the program's Div. I era (1991-pres.). All five Hornet attacking starters hit at least .300, and the team hit better than .340 in all three sets.

The Hornets (16-8, 9-1) strengthened their hold atop the Big Sky standings while dominating a Northern Colorado squad that won last year's Big Sky Tournament title. Second place Weber State (7-3) lost this evening, meaning Sacramento State now holds a two-game lead atop the Big Sky standings with just six regular season matches remaining.

Northern Colorado dropped to 10-10, and 5-4 in league. The Hornets snapped a four-match losing streak in Greeley,  and won for the first time on Northern Colorado's home floor since 2016. Tonight's loss marked the first time the Bears have been swept at home by a Big Sky opponent since Sept. 20, 2018 (loss to Idaho).

The Hornets' 9-1 league record is the program's best since the 2017 team was 10-0. Sacramento State has won four straight, and has lost just once since Sept. 16. Of the team's nine conference wins, only one has gone to five sets.

Sacramento State dominated from start to finish, as outside hitter Ellie Tisko led the Hornets with 19 kills and a .500 hitting percentage. The junior finished just one kill of her career high, and had 19 kills in just 28 swings. She had at least six kills in all three sets. Fellow outside hitter Bridgette Smith added 12 kills and a .409 hitting percentage, and Smith has at least 12 kills in nine of the Hornets' 10 matches against league competition.

The Hornet middles were nearly unstoppable as well, as Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin had seven kills and a .636 hitting percentage. Amazingly, Kamba-Griffin has gone five straight matches without an attack error, and is hitting .564 (22-0-39) over that stretch. She is now hitting a team-best .425 in conference play.

Fellow middle blocker Kalani Hayes finished with six kills, five blocks and a .357 hitting percentage. Rightside hitter Caitlin Volkmann had four kills, a pair of blocks and a .300 hitting percentage. Defensively, libero Caty Cordano led the way with nine digs while setters Hailey Plugge (21 ast, 4 digs) and Kate Doorn (17 ast, 5 digs) ran a crisp offense while combining for 38 assists and nine digs.

Sacramento State, which is 4-0 on the road against Big Sky competition, will play at Northern Arizona on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.