Box Score Box Score
MORAGA, Calif. --With a team-high 11 digs, Danielle Dupar became just the ninth player in UP history to reach the 1,000 digs mark as the Portland Pilots volleyball team fell in three sets to the No. 22 Saint Mary's Gaels in its final West Coast Conference match of the season Saturday at McKeon Pavilion. Saint Mary’s, the 2009 WCC Champion, won by scores of 25-19, 25-15 and 27-25.
The Pilots, who finish out the season with a 6-23 overall mark and 2-12 in the WCC, were led by freshman Ariel Usher who turned in a team-high 11 kills, as one of three freshmen leading the Portland attack. Usher swung a .400 hitting percentage and also added two assists, two digs and one block.
Redshirt freshman Rachel Femling posted seven kills on a team-high .538 hitting percentage. Freshman Kate Bostwick followed with six kills on .357 hitting with five digs and one service ace.
Dupar entered the match with 993 career kills, needing seven digs to reach 1,000, and got behind the milestone dig in the second set. She finishes out her junior season with 1004 career digs to sit at ninth on UP’s all-time list.
At the setter position, senior Kaylyn Jones dished out a team-high 15 assists while freshman Madison Smith contributed 13. Senior Maria Clemens got behind 10 digs and also added three kills.
Saint Mary’s took the lead early in the first set at 2-1 and, despite holding the Gaels to within five points or less the entire set, the Pilots were unable to regain the advantage.
It was more of the same in the second set with the Gaels going 2-1 early and holding on to the lead all set long. The Pilots threatened the SMC lead by inching to within two points at 13-11 after a Smith service ace. But the Gaels would go on a 7-4 run, to lead 20-15, and then followed with a 5-0 run to claim the set victory.
The Pilots came out strong in the third set leaving everything on the court as they battled to 12 ties and seven lead changes with the Gaels. An Usher kill put the Pilots up by four at 17-14 before Saint Mary’s would force the tie at 18-18. Another five tie scores capped by an Usher kill would bring the two teams to 25-25. Then, Saint Mary’s Kapua Kamana’o would create two straight points with a pass for a Lauren Jaeckel kill followed by a service ace to seal the match win at 27-25.
Saint Mary’s was led by 13 kills apiece from WCC Player of the Week Shannon Lowell and Chanteal Satele.
