Box Score Box Score
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – In a tight match, the Portland Pilots volleyball team fell 3-1 to conference opponent San Francisco on Saturday at the War Memorial Gym. The Dons won by scores of 25-21, 25-23, 25-27 and 25-21.
Sisters Jessica and Maria Clemens paced the Pilots with 14 and 11 kills respectively. Jessica also added eight digs and three blocks, while Maria also had five digs and one block.
Both senior Shelley Sievers and freshman Ariel Usher recorded seven kills and six blocks apiece. USF’s Erin Bragg also recorded six blocks to share the match-high with Sievers and Usher. UP senior Kaylyn Jones added a team-high 36 assists to the stat sheet and also added five digs and two blocks.
Sophomore Danielle Dupar continued to be strong on defense as her 20 digs were tops for the team on the day.
Portland (5-15, 1-4 WCC) had 11 players see the court against USF (9-9, 3-2).
In what seemed like a hitting duel in the first set, Portland’s Jessica Clemens and USF’s Erin Bragg knocked down five kills each. With 12 tie scores and five lead changes, USF won the race to 25 by out-hitting UP .308 to .244 and out-blocking the Pilots 5-1.
In the second set, Portland both out-blocked (4-2) and had better hitting efficiency (.229 to .214) than San Francisco but the Dons would claim the set win behind the strength of Sarah Mandala’s 10 kills (recording half of the team’s 20 kills in the set) to pace the Dons to a 25-23 set win. Portland’s Marissa Plummer contributed to three of UP’s four blocks in the set including two solo stuffs.
The third set was another back-and-forth affair with 12 ties and four lead changes. But it was Portland who owned the lead from the first serve until USF would tie it up at 13-13. The team exchanged points until 25-25 when Portland would go on a 2-0 run capped by a Maria Clemens kill to claim the 27-25 set victory.
It was more of the same in the fourth set with the last of 14 total ties settling at 20-20. The Dons, looking eager to finish the match, launched a 5-1 run to catapult them to the match win.
Mandala led the Dons with 16 kills while Haley Caroll posted 25 digs, both good enough for match-highs.
The Pilots will return home to the Chiles Center next weekend to play WCC opponents Saint Mary’s and San Diego. The UP-SMC match is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 22 at 7:00 p.m. and UP-USD is on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 1:00 p.m.
