The loss for Sacramento State (23-5, 10-1 in the Big Sky) snapped a season-high 11-game winning streak and the Hornets suffered their first conference loss of the season. PSU gave Sacramento State its lone conference loss last year in a 3-1 victory in Portland.

Sacramento State remains in first place in the league standings, one game ahead of Portland State (14-6, 9-2). Should both teams finish the regular season with the same conference record, Sacramento State would own the tiebreaker over Portland State and earn the right to host the Big Sky Tournament on Nov. 16-18. The Hornets earned the tiebreaker by virtue of a higher scoring margin between the two teams. Sacramento State swept Portland State earlier this year in Sacramento by the scores of 30-27, 32-30, 30-16, good for a scoring margin of +19. Tonight’s scoring margin for PSU was +10, nine points fewer than Sacramento State.

With five matches left to play, the winner of the regular season earns the right to host the Big Sky Tournament, as Sacramento State has won each of the last four tournament titles. The Hornets, who have still won 17 of the last 19 matches, were swept for the first time all season. In addition, Sacramento State’s winning streak over Big Sky competition (dating back to last year) was snapped at 23.

The Hornets had trouble setting the middle all night long as the team’s middle hitter tandem of juniors Michelle Franz and Lindsay Haupt finished with a combined nine kills in just 36 swings. Both finished with hitting percentages below .100 after entering the match with high marks (Franz .361; Haupt .327).

Sacramento State took a 29-27 lead in the second game, but let both game points slip away as PSU finished the frame on a 4-0 run to win, 31-29. The Hornets were also within two points late in the first game (28-26) and one point late in the third frame (25-24).

The Hornets finished with 15.0 team blocks, including 10 from Franz and five from Haupt, but could get nothing going on the offensive end, hitting just .124. Portland State did not fare much better on offense (.123 hitting percentage), but the Vikings took advantage of 11 Hornet service errors, including two from five different Sacramento State players.

Joining Brodie with double-figure kills for PSU were Lindsey Steele (12 kills, 13 digs), Michelle Robertson (10 kills, four blocks, match-high .300 hitting percentage) and Jessica Frederick (10 kills, five blocks). Brodie (13 kills, 17 digs) joined Steele as the two Vikings with double-doubles.

Sacramento State, which finished the match with just 38 kills, received 13 kills, 10 digs and three blocks from junior Jennifer Ferguson while senior Atlee Hubbard added 12 kills and 10 digs. No other Hornet had more than five kills. Senior Leah Klemenhagen posted five blocks, sophomore Rose Burke had 30 assists and 13 digs, and senior Kristin Lutes led all players with 20 digs.

The road doesn’t get any easier for the Hornets as the team travels to Eastern Washington on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. Including tonight’s 3-1 victory over Idaho State, the Eagles have won a season-high seven in a row. Eastern’s last loss came against the Hornets (3-0) on Sept. 28 in Sacramento.