Box Score Box Score
PORTLAND, Ore. --- Both Maria and Jessica Clemens turned in double-doubles as the Portland Pilots downed conference foe Loyola Marymount in an exciting five-set battle Thursday night at the Chiles Center. Trailing 5-1 in the deciding set, Portland mounted a thrilling rally to claim the match with a 16-14 fifth-set victory. The Pilots won by scores of 25-20, 19-25, 25-19, 18-25, 16-14.
Senior Maria Clemens led the Pilots attack with 17 kills to complement her 11 digs and three blocks. Meanwhile, sister Jessica recorded 16 kills and 10 digs. In 16 of 17 matches this season, it has been a Clemens sister who has led the Pilots offensively. It marks the seventh double-double this season for Jessica and the first for Maria.
The victory marks the first win for UP against LMU since sweeping the Lions on Nov. 17, 2005 in Portland, Ore.
Senior setter Kaylyn Jones dished out a match-high 52 assists, destroying her previous season-high of 26.
Sophomore Marissa Plummer led both teams in blocks with five rejections including one solo block. Plummer also added nine kills and a service ace. Freshman Ariel Usher contributed seven kills and four block assists.
On defense, junior liberos Danielle Dupar and Jessica Baty recorded 11 digs apiece.
Portland improves to a 5-12 overall mark and 1-1 in West Coast Conference play. LMU drops to 9-8 (0-3 WCC). In the match, Portland hit .232 to LMU’s .245 but posted more digs (58-53).
Portland opened the first set on a 6-1 tear behind the strength of two Shelley Sievers kills and one each from the Clemens’ sisters. The Pilots kept rolling to a 14-7 lead after another Sievers kill forced an LMU timeout. The Lions began cutting down the lead with a two-point run out of the timeout but an on-fire Sievers replied with a kill at 15-9. The Pilots delivered with a solid .375 hitting percentage to close out the set 25-20 on a Maria Clemens kill.
The Lions came back strong in the second set to earn an early 3-0 lead before a long Jones assist would set up an Usher kill to put the Pilots on the board at 3-1. But LMU kept adding to their lead to go ahead 15-10 then 20-14. Portland hung tough but the Lions claimed the 24-19 second-set win.
Portland and LMU were tied at every point to open the third frame before the Pilots broke an 8-8 tie with a huge block assist from Usher and Sievers after a long rally to go up 9-8. Portland would extend the lead to three points at 16-13 off a Jones kill, but the Lions would tie it back up at 17-17. From there, the Pilots surged ahead on an 8-2 run that included two Maria Clemens kills, one from Usher and a block assist from Usher and Plummer as well as a huge solo stuff from Plummer, to seal the set victory at 25-19.
LMU commanded a quick 6-0 lead in the fourth set. The Lions would enjoy their longest lead of the set with a 10-point advantage at 13-3 before being stopped by an authoritative kill from Maria Clemens. The Pilots would tighten the score to within six points at 22-16 but could not overcome .412 hitting from the Lions.
The Pilots trailed 5-1 in the deciding set but rallied to tie the score at 8-8 capped by a Plummer service ace. After being tied three more times, the blocking duo of Maria Clemens and Plummer would put Portland ahead at 13-12 going into an LMU timeout. LMU would even up the score again at 13 but Portland replied with a kill from Plummer off a Jones assist to go up 14-13. The score would be tied one last time at 14-14 before Portland finished off the Lions for good with kills from Maria Clemens then Jessica Clemens. Libero Dupar got behind a huge dig in the last rally to keep the ball in play on match point.
Freshman Jessica Nguyen made her debut as a Pilot against the Lions recording two digs.
Freshman Alaina Bergsma led the Lions with a match-high 21 kills, while freshman Felicia Arriola had a match-high 14 digs.
The Pilots next host WCC-opponent Pepperdine on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 1:00 p.m. at the Chiles Center.
