LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Portland Pilots were swept by No. 15 Southern California (10-1) in a non-conference match Friday night at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, Calif. Playing in its first of three matches on a California road-trip, UP fell by scores of 25-22, 25-15 and 25-13.
Portland (2-10) was led by senior Maria Clemens who turned in a team-high nine kills and also added nine digs, just short of a double-double. Sophomore Marissa Plummer recorded five kills to complement three blocks.
Senior Kaylyn Jones dished out 15 assists, five digs and a service ace. Meanwhile, junior Jessica Clemens had a team-high 10 digs and also added four kills.
Back-to-back kills by Jessica Clemens opened the match giving the Pilots at a 2-0 advantage in the first set. Southern California fought back to even up the score three times before finally taking the lead at 5-4, and then extending it to 7-4. The next two points came from kills by Maria Clemens but USC still found a way to grow the lead to 11-6. The two teams traded points during the middle of the set bringing the score to 22-16. From there, the Pilots launched a four-point-run that saw Plummer take part in three of those four points (two kills, one block assist). Jones sent over a service ace and freshman Ariel Usher helped out on the block to bring UP to within two points at 22-20. The two teams exchanged points until 24-22 when USC would close out the set on a Lauren Williams kill.
Portland came out strong earning the early lead at 4-1 in the second set. USC rallied back with a 5-2 run to move ahead at 6-5 before a Maria Clemens kill would tie it back up at 6-6. Portland put up a strong attack but USC’s defense was impenetrable with two straight blocks, putting USC in front 8-6. Kate Bostwick would lift up the Pilots with a kill, and combined with a USC error the score was even one last time at 8-8. But the Pilots couldn’t hang on as USC kept rolling with a 6-0 run followed later by a 7-0 run. The Women of Troy ultimately sealed the set at 25-15.
At 3-3 in the third set, USC sped ahead on a 6-1 run to bring the score to 9-4. The Pilots inched back to within three at 11-8 behind the strength of kills from redshirt freshman Rachel Femling and Maria Clemens. USC would again find momentum to go on a 9-1 run to gain an 18-9 advantage. Late in the set, four Pilots (Plummer, Usher, Maria Clemens and Kate Bostwick) all found openings in the USC defense ripping over kills. But Portland was unable to force a fourth set as USC’s Alex Jupiter put up a block solo and a kill for two consecutive points to close out the match.
Katie Fuller led USC with 10 kills while Alli Hillgren recorded 20 digs, both match-highs.
Up next, Portland takes on Fresno State also at USC’s Galen Center on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 11:00 a.m. before heading to The Matadome to face Cal State Northridge at 7:00 p.m. in Northridge, Calif.
