Senior Jayme Wright |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Four Hornets tallied double figures in kills, led by senior Jayme Wright’s match-high 17 kills and 18 digs, as Sacramento State defeated Portland State, 3-1 (30-25, 30-23, 27-30, 30-23), in a Big Sky Conference volleyball match Thursday evening in Hornet Gym.Sophomore Sandra Bandimere (12 kills), junior Kazmiera Imrie (11 kills and six blocks) and junior Lisa Beauchene (10 kills, 44 assists, seven digs and six blocks) also recorded double-figure kills for the Hornets. Sacramento State, which held Portland State to just a .111 hitting percentage, led the Vikings in nearly every statistical category including kills (64-54), digs (60-54), total blocks (14-11) and hitting percentage (.204-.111).
With the victory, Sacramento State won for the sixth time in its last eight matches while improving to 15-7 overall and 5-1 in the Big Sky. Portland State dropped to 6-8 overall and 1-5 in the conference. The Hornets’ victory sets up a showdown for first place in the Big Sky with 15th-ranked Eastern Washington on Saturday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. in Hornet Gym. Eastern Washington (20-0, 6-0), which defeated Northern Arizona tonight, will enter Saturday’s contest as one of just four unbeaten Div. I teams in the nation.
Wright’s 17 kills were her most since recording 20 against UNLV on Sept. 20. Four Hornets tallied at least six blocks including freshman Shannon Arts (career and match-high eight), sophomore Emily Wilson (six), Imrie and Beauchene. Wilson added eight kills as the middle hitter now has 35 kills over her last four matches. Beauchene’s 10 kills accompanied a match-high .500 hitting percentage (10-2-16). Freshman Mallory Hook recorded double-figure digs for the sixth time in the last seven matches with 11.
Portland State was led by Richell Wilson (15 kills), Katie Kost (13 kills) and Rachel Mogen (11 kills). Kost also finished with a .321 hitting percentage (13-4-28) and a team-high tying five blocks.
The Hornets have yet to allow an opponent to hit .300 this season and only six opponents have hit above .200. The Hornets’ 14 blocks were the team’s second-highest output in a four-game match this season (16 at San Jose State).
After Saturday’s match against Eastern Washington, the Hornets travel to Weber State (Friday, Oct. 25) and Idaho State (Saturday, Oct. 26) next week.
NOTES -- Tonight’s match marked the first time the Hornets had four players record double figures in kills since four accomplished the feat at UNLV on Sept. 20, a span of 10 matches...Arts is hitting .308 (11-3-26) and is averaging 1.18 blocks per game in Big Sky matches...Bandimere’s 12 kills snapped a streak of four-straight matches in which she led the team in kills.
