The Big Sky Conference championships are coming, and Sacramento State is looking more ready than ever.

In two weeks, Sac State volleyball will be defending its Big Sky crown for the seventh time in 10 years. This season the Hornets also have a chance to collect the regular season conference title.

First came two very large obstacles, a team rival (Eastern Washington) and the only team that has tarnished the Hornets’ conference record this season (Portland State). The Hornets responded with two wins, stretching their winning streak to 10.

Eastern Washington came into the Hornets Nest Thursday night looking for some revenge. The Hornets dominated the Eagles in the two teams’ first match ?” a Hornet sweep on Oct. 1 in Cheney, Wash.

The rivals put on a great show for the Hornet fans who filled the Nest. Several long rallies were received with roaring cheers. Senior setter Natalie Melcher and middle hitter Michelle Franz ended the first game with a joint block at 33-31.

No. 3 in the Big Sky, Eastern Washington continually pressured the Hornets, but the home team didn’t fold. Sac State slowly sapped any momentum the Eagles built up in the match. Led by a strong offensive performance by their outside hitters, Lindsay Haupt and Atlee Hubbard, the Hornets brought down the Eagles in three-straight games. This is the first time the Hornets have swept Eastern Washington twice in the same season since 2001.

“It’s something that rarely happens,” head coach Debby Colberg said. “We were fortunate to play them away first; they weren’t playing their best then.”

Said Hubbard: “Wow, they were a lot better this game,” comparing the Eagles she faced on Thursday against the team on Oct.1.

It seemed as though a little bit more than good fortune was on the Hornets’ side. Hubbard posted the match high with 15 kills and .231 hitting percentage with 13 digs. Meanwhile, Lindsay Haupt was unstoppable in her 13 kills on 20 attempts for another match-high .550 hitting percentage.

Going from offense to defense, the Hornets faced the only conference team to hand Sac State a loss in the Big Sky this season. On Sept. 30, the Hornets lost in five games to the Vikings inside the Stott Center.

Saturday night the Vikings of Portland State looked to make a move on the first place Hornets and take the conference crown for the first time in the school’s history.

For the entire match neither team could find their offense consistently. Junior Jessica Brodie was the lone offensive force. Standing 5-foot-6, she is the shortest player for Portland State, but she was able to post 22 kills on 67 attempts with 25 digs.

“She hits high and hard,” Haupt said. “Shortest players are the hardest for me to block.”

Perhaps the Vikings were looking to Brodie too often, as three of Portland’s players never recorded a kill. However the Vikings seemed to dictate the momentum for most of the match as three Sac State players ended the day with hitting percentages in the negative.

The Hornets gave up game point for the first time in the last 23 games, but gave the second game to the Vikings 24-30. Winners of the their last eight matches, the Vikings took advantage of Sac State’s errors.

“They played aggressively,” Hubbard said. “Our hitting errors let them back in that game.”

Hornets came out in the third game determined not to get down on themselves and forced the Vikings to 24 ties. The Hornets came out on top to take the lead two games to one.

In the fourth game the Vikings made one too many errors after Hubbard dodged a ball that went wide, ending the match.

Sophomore middle hitter Michelle Franz quietly posted 15 kills with a .444 hitting percentage, catching the Vikings defense by surprise. Along side her was Lindsay Haupt’s career high 13 blocks and 12 kills with a .370 hitting percentage.

“Before every game we set goals for ourselves,” Haupt said. “This week my goal was to close and improve my blocks.”

“She did it against a team that poses more problems for us,” Colberg said. “[Portland State] has too many good hitters. It’s a guessing game.”

The Hornets are now on their longest winning streak, 10 straight, since the 1998 season when they won 15 straight. The 2004 Big Sky champions are one win away from confirming a regular season Big Sky title and the right to host the conference tournament on Nov. 17-19.

“We could have two losses and it won’t hurt us,” Colberg said. “But of course we want to win them all.”

The next two matches will be away at Idaho State and Weber State. The last time the Hornets went to Pocatello, Idaho, they lost to the Bengals in three straight games. Weber State has defeated Sac State three times in the last five seasons.

The Hornets return to play in the Hornets Nest against Northern Arizona on Nov. 12.

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Brad Alexander can be reached at [email protected]