Box Score Box Score
PORTLAND, Ore. – A double-double from senior Kaylyn Jones of 27 assists and 17 digs wasn’t enough for the Portland Pilots to fend off conference opponent Saint Mary’s at the Chiles Center Thursday night. The Gaels won the match in four-sets by scores of 25-20, 18-25, 25-12 and 25-21. The double-double was Jones’ second of the 2009 campaign.
Portland now sits at 5-16 overall and 1-5 in the West Coast Conference, while Saint Mary’s improves to 13-4 (5-1 WCC).
Two Pilots posted double digits in kills including senior Maria Clemens recording a team high12 and freshman Ariel Usher registering 11. Clemens also added nine digs falling just short of the double-double, while Usher also contributed four blocks including one solo.
Junior Jessica Clemens was a force on both sides of the net with 17 digs to complement her nine kills. Senior Shelley Sievers added eight kills and also put up six blocks including one solo.
Usher nailed one of her five first-set kills to open the match. With the score even at 5-5 the two teams exchanged 4-1 runs to even it up again at 10-10. Two straight kills from Maria Clemens was followed by two consecutive points from the Gaels to tie it up again at 12-12. The score remained tight until 16-16 when SMC ran away on a 9-4 run to claim the first set win 25-20. Clemens joined Usher in posting five kills of her own in the set to lead all players.
The Pilots took control early in the second frame leading by three points at 5-2 and again at 9-6. SMC pulled back to tie it up at 9-9 before a Jessica Clemens kill would spark a three-point run for UP that was capped by a Sievers solo stuff to bring the score to 12-9. The Gaels again rallied back to within one point at 17-16 but the Pilots took off on an 8-2 run to seal the set victory comfortably at 25-18.
The third set started out as a gridlock until 8-8 when Saint Mary’s would inch ahead to take the 10-8 advantage. There, Portland’s Usher and Saint Mary’s Megan York exchanged two kills apiece bringing the score to 12-10 still in SMC’s favor. The Gaels would launch into a 7-0 run interrupted only by a Kate Bostwick kill on her first touch of the match. Saint Mary’s managed to keep momentum and finished on a 6-1 run for the set win at 25-12.
At 19-19 in the fourth must-win set for the Pilots, a block from Sievers and sophomore Rachel Femling gave Portland the lead at 20-19. But Saint Mary’s steamed ahead to finish the Pilots off for good with a 25-21 fourth set victory.
Saint Mary’s was led on the attack with a match-high 14 kills from Lauren Corp. On defense, Anna Schroeder got behind a match-high 27 digs and Megan Burton put up a match-high seven blocks.
Portland returns to the Chiles Center on Saturday to play conference opponent No. 22 San Diego at 1:00 p.m. The match is the Pilots annual “Dig Pink” event, where fans are encouraged to wear pink in honor of cancer awareness. Donations towards the Susan G. Komen Cure can be made and fans wearing pink will get a $2 discount on admission.
