Sometimes a team can be its own harshest critic.

Such was the case Tuesday night as Sacramento State volleyball swept Portland State 3-0, (30-14, 30-27, 30-17) in its Big Sky Conference home opener.

“We seemed kind of slow tonight,” senior setter Stephanie Gamst, who hit a career high .600 with six kills and 40 assists, said, “we didn’t play our best volleyball.”

This despite the third-place Hornets (13-5, 3-1 Big Sky) taking out the heretofore fourth-place team in the Big Sky in Portland State (8-7, 2-2), a team which also entered the night ranked among conference leaders in kills (first), assists (first), aces (first) and digs (second).

The Hornets opened their first home match in nearly three weeks in game one playing like they never left the cozy confines of the Nest. As a team Sac State blocked three potential Viking points and dug out 18 more en route to an easy victory, 30-14. Portland State couldn’t get on the positive side hitting percentage, posting a .000 mark in the first game, committing eight attack errors.

“I wasn’t pleased with how we played in game one,” Hornets’ head coach Debby Colberg said, “I don’t feel we earned it, Portland State was just making errors which allowed us to score.”

In game two the Vikings made fewer errors (six) and hung with the Hornets throughout, losing by a slim three point margin, 30-27. Game two featured both teams’ highest hitting percentages as the Hornets hit .383 and Portland State posted a .214 mark.

Senior transfer Jackie Coudert put down five kills in the second frame to go along with four digs. Coudert transferred last year from Division II CSU, Stanislaus for her senior season.

“In Div. I ball you have to play at a higher level and sustain it,” Coudert said. “In Div. II it’s more sporadic, but here you have to be ready to play every match.

“Tonight I just saw the hole (in the opponent’s block) and hit wherever my teammates behind me told me, I couldn’t believe they were going down myself.”

Coudert’s efforts did not go unnoticed.

“Jackie was on fire in that second game,” Gamst said. “It’s fun for me to see her reaction when I set her the ball, she’s so excited and that fires me up.”

The efficient hitting of junior Natalie Melcher helped the Hornets win game three and close out Portland State, 30-17 as the rightside hitter had three kills in four attacks to round out her total of eight kills and a career-high .667 hitting percentage.

Senior outside hitter Sandra Bandimere led the Hornets overall with 12 kills, Vikings’ sophomore outside hitter Jessica Brodie led all players with 14 kills.

Sac State now turns its attention to Big Sky arch-rival Eastern Washington this Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in the Nest.

“We didn’t play at our normal level tonight,” sophomore libero Kristin Lutes, a native of Kent, Wash. and former recruit of Eagles’ head coach Wade Benson, said. “But that changes when we play Eastern, we’re always up for them.”