The University of Portland’s volleyball team returned to the Chiles Center after a six-week absence, but was beaten in three straight games (34-32, 30-24, 30-15) by San Francisco.

Kristin Hasselberg recorded a match-high 16 kills for San Francisco, while Sara Vercruyssen (11) and Nicole Thometz (10) broke into double figures for the Pilots. Portland’s Sheena Surplus led all players with 29 assists, and Ashley Grayson had a match-high five total blocks.

Portland jumped out to a 15-10 lead in the first game, but the Dons quickly erased the lead with a five-point run. The hard-fought game was tied a total of 17 different times, but the Dons finally pulled out the win on a KeLicia Shorts kill that ended the game at 34-32.

Game two continued the same way for the two squads, with the teams exchanging leads until the Dons erupted with a mid-game run that put them up 16-11. San Francisco withstood a late Portland rally, and took the game 30-24. The third game was all San Francisco, as the Dons recorded a 30-15 win to take the match 3-0.

“When we have six people out there talking, we’re scoring points,” Portland head coach Doug Sparks said after the game. “When it gets quiet, we start losing. My challenge is to get them to do that for a longer period of time out there.”

San Francisco’s record improves to 14-6 and 1-3 in WCC action. Portland falls to 3-13 and 0-4 in conference play.

The Pilots end their brief homestand with a 7:00 p.m. matchup against No. 25 Saint Mary’s on Friday night.