The Sacramento State volleyball team is hosting Montana and Idaho State for its final two home matches in Big Sky play with senior night to be held on Nov. 4.

The Hornets are coming home off a 3-0 loss to second place Portland State, snapping a season-high 11-game winning streak last Thursday. On the road trip, they outlasted Eastern Washington in a two-hour and 40-minute match 3-2 on Saturday.

The loss didn’t stand in their way, as they remain one game ahead of Portland State in the conference and are fighting to host the Big Sky Tournament, scheduled for Nov. 16-18.

Montana (9-4, 12-10) visits Sac State (24-5, 11-1) in the first of the final two matches on Thursday, Nov. 2.

On Oct. 12, the Grizzlies almost pushed the Hornets to their first season loss, but came up short as Sac State won in a five-game match, 3-2.

“Last year they were tough, so we expected them to be a decent team,” coach Debby Colberg said.

Claudia Houle led Idaho State with 27 kills, which were 11 more than Sac State’s leaders, Atlee Hubbard and Michelle Franz, with 16.

The seniors will say goodbye as they suit up for what could be their final match at home against Idaho State (9-18, 5-9) on Nov. 4.

“I’m part sad and part excited,” senior captain Kristin Lutes said. “I know my career and days of playing for Sac are that close to an end.”-

“I’ve been through it 31 times, so it’ll be the same for me,” Colberg said of senior day.

The Hornets swept the Bengals on Oct. 7, but Colberg doesn’t feel that any game in the tournament will be an easy victory.

“I don’t think it will be easy. We take all the matches seriously and I hope the players think like that,” Colberg said. “We don’t want to be caught by surprise.”

Outside hitter Hubbard isn’t one to take any game lightly.

“We have an advantage at home, but we play with the same intensity no matter if we are home or away,” she said.

“Any team can have the upper hand (with home court advantage), but on any given day, a volleyball team can play well,” Lutes added.

Karyn Gilbert can be reached at [email protected]