With the victory, Sacramento State improved to 16-4 overall and 4-0 in the Big Sky. Portland State, which had won seven of eight, dropped to 10-5 and 5-1 in the conference. The Hornets, who have won nine-consecutive Big Sky regular season and/or tournament championships, now assume first place atop the conference standings. The winner of the Big Sky’s regular season title hosts the Big Sky Tournament (Nov. 16-18).

Sacramento State has won four in a row and 10 of its last 11, and the team’s 16-4 record is the best after 20 matches since the 1995 squad had an 18-2 record. Moreover, the Hornets have now won 50-consecutive regular-season matches against Big Sky competition at home, a streak which dates back to 1999. In fact, the team is now 73-5 against conference opposition at home during the regular season.

Portland State finished second in the league standings last season, three games behind first-place Sacramento State. The Vikings had knocked off conference opponents Weber State (3-1), Eastern Washington (3-1), Northern Colorado (3-0), Northern Arizona (3-1) and Idaho State (3-0) prior to tonight’s loss. Sacramento State now leads the all-time series with Portland State, 30-11, and has won 25 of the last 26 meetings between the two teams.

Haupt’s match-high tying 14 kills were one shy of her season high as she also hit .357 (14-4-28) and had four blocks. Franz wrapped up an incredible week with 11 kills (11-3-22), a .364 hitting percentage and six blocks. Including Thursday’s victory over Eastern Washington, Franz finished the week with 4.27 kills and 1.83 blocks per game to go along with a .500 hitting percentage (25-3-44). The Carmichael, Calif., native has already been named Big Sky Player of the Week twice this year and ranks fifth in the nation with 1.78 blocks per game.

Senior Atlee Hubbard completed the Hornet trifecta with double-figure kills as the outside hitter finished with 10 kills, 16 digs, three aces and two blocks. A consistent theme all season long, Sacramento State’s defense came up huge again, totalling 72 digs and 10.0 team blocks. Portland State was limited to a .116 hitting percentage and all but three Vikings hit .125 or less in the match.

The Hornets had nine more kills than the Vikings (51-42) and hit .227. Junior Jennifer Ferguson finished with seven kills, two aces and 11 digs, freshman Anna Schoener chipped in three kills and four blocks, sophomore Melissa Melcher added two kills, 18 assists and nine digs, senior Leah Klemenhagen tallied four kills and two blocks, and senior Kristin Lutes added a match-high 27 digs to help the Hornets to their fourth-consecutive three-game sweep. Each of the Hornets’ last eight victories have come in three games.

The Vikings’ largest lead of the night was two points at 25-23 in the second game. Portland State had two game points in that second frame, but the Hornets were able to turn those back with a kill from Franz at 29-28, and a service error from Jessica Frederick at 30-29. With the score tied, 30-30, Hubbard had an ace and Ferguson finished the game with a kill.

Portland State’s Jessica Brodie led the Vikings with 14 kills and 16 digs, while Frederick added 10 kills, four blocks and a .348 hitting percentage. Brodie, who entered the match ranked seventh in the nation in kills, was limited to a .083 hitting percentage as she committed nine errors in a match-high 60 attacks.

Sacramento State returns to action next week for two more Big Sky matches, beginning Thursday, Oct. 5, at home against conference newcomer Northern Colorado at 7 p.m. The team also travels to Idaho State on Saturday, Oct. 7, for a match at 6 p.m. PDT.