Pilots host Bulldogs, Aim to Break Losing Streak

PORTLAND, Ore. --- The University of Portland volleyball team aims to get back on the winning track after dropping its first two West Coast Conference matches last weekend. Loyola Marymount topped the Pilots 3-0 on Sept. 28 and No. 23 Pepperdine bested Portland 3-0 on Sept. 30. The Pilots are now 7-8 on the season and 0-2 in WCC play. The current two game losing streak marks the first time Portland has lost consecutive games this season.

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After a week off, the Pilots return to action on Saturday Oct. 7 at 7:00 p.m. in the Chiles Center, when they host the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Gonzaga is 5-12 on the year and 0-2 in WCC play, having lost 3-0 matches to both Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine over the weekend.

Junior outside hitter Nicole Thometz leads the Pilot attack with 3.54 kills per game, followed by sophomore middle blocker Jenn Sheedy with 2.67 kpg, sophomore middle blocker Ashley Grayson with 2.21 kpg and freshman outside hitter Maria Clemens with 2.16 kpg.

On the defensive side, lone senior and team captain libero Murphy McClenahan leads the defense with 4.52 digs per game. McClenahan is currently in third place on Portland career digs list, trailing only former Pilot greats Ann Pinkowski and Laura Coyle. McClenahan currently ranks third in the WCC in digs.

Clemens is second on the Pilots with 3.41 digs per game, good for seventh in the WCC. Thometz averages 2.70 digs per game. At the net, Grayson is averaging 1.08 blocks per game to lead Portland, good for sixth in the WCC while Sheedy is averaging 0.74 blocks per game.

The West Coast Conference currently has three teams ranked in the latest CSTV/AVCA Coaches Poll (No. 12 Santa Clara, No. 22 San Diego and No. 23 Pepperdine), while San Francisco (13), Loyola Marymount (7) and Saint Mary’s (4) all received votes to be ranked, marking the second time this season six WCC schools have earned votes to be ranked.

After this weekend’s match against Gonzaga, Portland will host a difficult home series in the Chiles Center. The Pilots will face No. 22 San Diego on Thursday, Oct. 12 at 7:00 p.m. and No. 12 Santa Clara on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 1:00 p.m.

Portland will then travel to the Bay Area for matches against Saint Mary’s and San Francisco before returning home to host rematches against Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine at the end of the month.

Scouting Gonzaga

Gonzaga is 5-12 on the year and 0-2 in WCC play, having lost 3-0 matches to both Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine over the weekend.

Gonzaga enters the weekend on a high note, coming back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Idaho 3-2 on Tuesday, Oct. 3 in its last non-conference match. The win broke a season-high five game losing streak for the Zags and also snapped a 10 match losing streak to the Vandals. Gonzaga’s five wins on the year have come against Weber State, Gardner-Webb, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Eastern Washington and Idaho. The Bulldgos faced No. 5 Washington earlier in the season, falling 3-0. The Pilots and Bulldogs have two common non-conference opponents: Washington State and Portland State. The Cougars (3-1) and Vikings (3-0) both defeated Gonzaga, while Portland fell to Washington State (3-0) and defeated Portland State (3-1). Both teams also fell 3-0 to both Loyola Marymount and No. 23 Pepperdine.

Individually for the Bulldogs, junior outside hitter Becky Jones, a 2005 all-WCC honorable mention player, leads the way with 3.69 kills per game and 3.06 digs per game. Jones has seven double-doubles on the season after recording 11 matches with double digit kills and nine matches with double digit digs.

Sophomore middle blocker Elaina Renius is second on the team in both kills (2.66) and blocks (0.95) while junior middle blocker Briawna Mueller is third in kills (2.40) and first in blocks (0.97). Junior libero Alecia Douglas leads the Zag defense with 3.21 digs per game.

The 2005 Team MVP, junior setter Heather Dunn, is currently averaging 10.97 assists per game, 2.39 digs per game and 0.94 kills per game. Dunn is also second on the team with 15 service aces.

Portland/Gonzaga Series

The match will be the 46th meeting between the two schools, with the Bulldogs holding a 16-29 overall edge and a 12-26 lead in WCC matches. Portland, however, has won six of the last eight matches, including a 3-0 victory at home last season.