SACRAMENTO -- Sacramento State hit a season-high .421, and ended its match in just one hour, 13 minutes on the way to a sweep (25-14, 25-19, 25-14) of Portland State on Friday evening at the Nest.
The Hornets have won a season-high tying three straight matches while improving to 10-6 overall and 3-0 in Big Sky Conference play. Sacramento State has now won three straight on three occasions this season.
The Hornets, who are the defending Big Sky regular season champions, have won their first three conference matches for the third consecutive year.
Tonight's match featured two of the three remaining Big Sky teams without a conference loss, as Portland State dropped to 2-1 in league. Sacramento State and Weber State now sit atop the conference standings with 3-0 records.
The second longest rivalry against any team for Sacramento State, the Hornets improved to 52-28 all-time against the Vikings. Only the Hornets' 81 matches vs. UC Davis is a longer rivalry.
The Hornets held the Vikings to a .105 hitting percentage, and PSU was victim of a 13-0 run during the first set. During that season-long run by the Hornets, Calitlin Volkmann served 12 straight points.
Speaking of Volkmann, the senior outside hitter was dominant, posting a match-high 12 kills with a .579 hitting percentage and six blocks.
Bridgette Smith had 11 kills, seven digs and a .304 hitting percentage, and
Ellie Tisko seven kills and career-best .700 hitting percentage.
All five of the Hornets' starting hitters connected on hitting percentages above .300, including middles
Ashlynn Archer (6 kills, .308) and
Karlie Spohn (2 kills, .667). Spohn also had a match-best seven blocks, which set a career best.
Libero
Reese Ampi led all players with 13 digs, and setters
Kate Doorn (23 ast, 3 blk) and
Hailey Plugge (11 ast) combined for 34 assists.
Tonight opened a season-high tying three-match homestand that will see the Hornets host Northern Arizona (Thursday at 7 p.m.), and Northern Colorado (Saturday at 1 p.m.) next week. After those contests, Sacramento State will play seven of nine on the road spanning Oct. 18-Nov. 16.
