University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Friday, November 19
Ogden, Utah
4 p.m. MT
University of Northern Colorado
vs
Portland State
Volleyball ready for semifinal matchup with Portland State
11/19/2021 11:31:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
OGDEN, Utah. – After brushing past the Eagles of Eastern Washington in round one, Northern Colorado sets its sights on Portland State in the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference Championship.
Who: vs Portland State (19-9, 12-4)
When: November 19, | 4 p.m. MT
Where: Ogden, Utah
How To Follow: LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATS | UNCBearsVB
Quick Sets
Northern Colorado has reached the Big Sky Semifinals for the third straight year.
Lauren Strain (.636), Rachel Hickman (.444) and Annette Baker (.571) all hit north of .400 in the quarterfinal victory over Eastern Washington.
UNC extended its winning streak to seven games, the longest active streak in the Big Sky Conference.
Laura Katarzynski turned in an astounding 22 digs against the Eagles. It was the most digs in a three-set match for any player this season for the Bears.
Northern Colorado's servers dialed up nine aces in the win over Eastern Washington, the most in the Big Sky tournament for UNC since tallying 13 against Southern Utah last spring.
The Blue and Gold offense continues to be the most efficient in the conference. At 12.17 assists per set, the Bears are No. 1 in the Big Sky and No. 77 in all of Division I Volleyball.
The race between Katarzynski and Kyndall Feather for the leader in career aces continues. Entering Friday, Katarzynski leads with 133 while Feather is nipping at her heels with 129.
Rachel Hickman has reached double-figures in kills in eight straight matches and 13 of the last 14.
Last time out
Northern Colorado's highly efficient offense was too much for Eastern Washington to handle. Rachel Hickman, Lauren Strain and Annette Baker all hit north of .400 while Makenzie Harris led the way with 12 kills. Laura Katarzynski was lights out on the defensive end as her 22 digs propelled the Bears into the semifinals.
Scouting Portland State
The Vikings put on a show in its quarterfinal matchup with Sacramento State. The five-set thriller featured 13 lead changes and 28 ties. Parker Webb led the way with 16 kills as three different Vikings reached double-figure kill totals.
Head coach Michael Seemann was voted the Big Sky Coach of the Year as he guided PSU to a third-place finish in the conference at 12-4.
Part of the reason for the Vikings' success this season has been the play of its defense. PSU ranks first in the conference in digs per set at 17.33 which is also the No. 14 mark in the nation. Portland State is also fourth in the Big Sky in blocking at 2.13 per set. The potent combination, combined with Makayla Lewis and Parker Webb who are both averaging north of 3.0 kills per set make the Vikings a difficult out.
History against the Vikings
The Bears only got to play Portland State once this season, meeting back on October 23 in Oregon. While PSU took the victory, 3-1, UNC features a new-looking lineup from a month ago.
Portland State owns the all-time series at 16-22. However, in the tournament UNC is 4-2 against the Vikings since joining the Big Sky in 2006.
Interestingly, all four tournament wins over PSU led to a Big Sky Tournament title.
Looking Ahead
Should Northern Colorado advance to the Championship match, they'll face the winner of Weber State and Montana State. The match is slated for 7 p.m. MT
To stay up to date on all things UNC volleyball, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Who: vs Portland State (19-9, 12-4)
When: November 19, | 4 p.m. MT
Where: Ogden, Utah
How To Follow: LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATS | UNCBearsVB
Quick Sets
Northern Colorado has reached the Big Sky Semifinals for the third straight year.
Lauren Strain (.636), Rachel Hickman (.444) and Annette Baker (.571) all hit north of .400 in the quarterfinal victory over Eastern Washington.
UNC extended its winning streak to seven games, the longest active streak in the Big Sky Conference.
Laura Katarzynski turned in an astounding 22 digs against the Eagles. It was the most digs in a three-set match for any player this season for the Bears.
Northern Colorado's servers dialed up nine aces in the win over Eastern Washington, the most in the Big Sky tournament for UNC since tallying 13 against Southern Utah last spring.
The Blue and Gold offense continues to be the most efficient in the conference. At 12.17 assists per set, the Bears are No. 1 in the Big Sky and No. 77 in all of Division I Volleyball.
The race between Katarzynski and Kyndall Feather for the leader in career aces continues. Entering Friday, Katarzynski leads with 133 while Feather is nipping at her heels with 129.
Rachel Hickman has reached double-figures in kills in eight straight matches and 13 of the last 14.
Last time out
Northern Colorado's highly efficient offense was too much for Eastern Washington to handle. Rachel Hickman, Lauren Strain and Annette Baker all hit north of .400 while Makenzie Harris led the way with 12 kills. Laura Katarzynski was lights out on the defensive end as her 22 digs propelled the Bears into the semifinals.
Scouting Portland State
The Vikings put on a show in its quarterfinal matchup with Sacramento State. The five-set thriller featured 13 lead changes and 28 ties. Parker Webb led the way with 16 kills as three different Vikings reached double-figure kill totals.
Head coach Michael Seemann was voted the Big Sky Coach of the Year as he guided PSU to a third-place finish in the conference at 12-4.
Part of the reason for the Vikings' success this season has been the play of its defense. PSU ranks first in the conference in digs per set at 17.33 which is also the No. 14 mark in the nation. Portland State is also fourth in the Big Sky in blocking at 2.13 per set. The potent combination, combined with Makayla Lewis and Parker Webb who are both averaging north of 3.0 kills per set make the Vikings a difficult out.
History against the Vikings
The Bears only got to play Portland State once this season, meeting back on October 23 in Oregon. While PSU took the victory, 3-1, UNC features a new-looking lineup from a month ago.
Portland State owns the all-time series at 16-22. However, in the tournament UNC is 4-2 against the Vikings since joining the Big Sky in 2006.
Interestingly, all four tournament wins over PSU led to a Big Sky Tournament title.
Looking Ahead
Should Northern Colorado advance to the Championship match, they'll face the winner of Weber State and Montana State. The match is slated for 7 p.m. MT
To stay up to date on all things UNC volleyball, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
DS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
DS
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's VolleyballWomen's Walk Recap 2025
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Saturday, November 03
VB vs. Weber State
Thursday, November 01
