Box Score Box Score
PORTLAND, Ore. --- Portland claimed the court in the Stott Center Friday afternoon, cruising past Seattle in straight sets 25-22, 28-26, 25-18, in the team’s second or four matches at the Portland State Showcase. Seattle forced Portland to earn the win, pushing them to the brink in the second set, but ultimately Portland was the better team.
UP (3-6) finished at a .275 hitting percentage, and held the Redhawks (1-7) to just a .143 hitting mark.
The Pilot attack was led by senior Jennifer Sheedy and freshman Marissa Plummer, who tied for match high kills at 13 each. Plummer also tied for match high in service aces with Viking freshman Kaytlyn Dill at three apiece, as well as the match high in blocks, tying Viking sophomore Janet Beckerman with four apiece. Defensively, freshman libero Allix Strahon’s 13 digs gave her the match high for the second game in a row. Pilot junior setter Kaylyn Jones had the match high assists with 44.
Portland was the first to score a point in the first set and despite trading points early on they never fell behind. The set started with an exchange of kills before the Pilots would push ahead at 12-9. Never seeing a lead more than three points the entire set, Seattle hung on at 15-15 before the Pilots went on a three-point streak thanks in part to two kills by Sheedy. Seattle again held on at 18-18 and 20-20 would be the last time the score was even. A kill by junior Maria Clemens followed by four more from senior Ashley Grayson would close out the set in the Pilots favor.
Seattle’s attempt to avenge in the second set would fall short despite a solid start leading 8-4 then 10-6. The Pilots would rally back to tie the score up at 10-10 before falling behind 14-11. The score was knotted up again at 15-15 and the Redhawks once again pulled forward to 19-17. Equalizing the score at 19-19 the Pilots began to creep ahead with kills by Maria Clemens, Plummer and Sheedy. Kills by Redhawks senior Libby Graff and freshman Cristin Richards kept the Redhawks in the game but a kill by senior K.C. Fox put the set away.
The Pilots made the most of the third set to finish the match thanks to the combined attack from the consistent Sheedy and Plummer who connected on five kills each. Grayson came up big in this set with another four kills and Strahon got behind five digs. Again falling behind early, Portland gained the lead at 12-11 with a service ace by Plummer and never looked back. Maria Clemens sealed the win with a service ace.
Portland re-takes the court on Saturday at the Stott Center with matches against Oregon State at 10 a.m. followed by UC Riverside at 5 p.m.
