Box Score Box Score
LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- The Clemens' sisters recorded 28 of the team's 47 total kills to help the Portland Pilots sweep the Fresno State Bulldogs on Saturday morning at the Galen Centre in Los Angeles, Calif. The Pilots won by scores of 26-24, 26-24 and 25-19.
Junior Jessica Clemens registered a match-high 16 kills to complement her 12 digs for her fifth double-double of the season.
Senior Maria Clemens posted 12 kills on a team-high .435 hitting percentage and also added three blocks.
Junior Danielle Dupar recorded the match-high 14 digs. Meanwhile Kaylyn Jones added 12 digs as well as 25 assists.
Freshman Ariel Usher ended the match with eight kills and four blocks, while senior Shelley Sievers had four blocks and two kills.
Portland (3-10) hit .264 for the match and held the Bulldogs (7-4) to 165.
The first set was a back-and-forth affair that saw 10 tie scores and six lead changes. Fresno State owned the lead until a Maria Clemens kill tied it up at 15-15. Portland trailed by two at 22-20. From there, a Bulldog error and a service ace from Jessica Clemens would even the score at 22.
A kill from each of the Clemens’ sisters would propel the Pilots to match point at 24-22. But Fresno State refused to back down and evened it up for what would be the last time at 24 with two kills. Marissa Plummer would rip a kill before a big block from Sievers and Usher would close out the set.
The second set was more of the same with 11 ties and four lead changes. The Pilots took the early lead at 5-2 before the Bulldogs would fight back to even it up at 6-6. Fresno State would take a four point lead at 14-10. Trailing at 17-14, a Maria Clemens kill would spark a four-point-run that included a kill by sister Jessica as well as one by Sievers putting UP ahead at 18-17.
Fresno State would reclaim the lead at 20-18 forcing a Portland timeout. From there, Jessica Clemens seemed to heat up blasting kills all over the court to earn Portland its next five points. The two teams were tied back up at 21, and again at 22 and 23. This time it was a Maria Clemens kill that gave UP the lead at 24-23. The Pilots would claim the set 26-24 courtesy of an Usher kill and a Maria Clemens block solo.
The Bulldogs, trying to force a fourth set, came out strong in the third to lead by four points at 8-4 and again at 15-11. With a 6-3 run UP finally grabbed the lead at 18-17. A Bulldog kill tied the score at 18 but back-to-back points for the Pilots brought UP ahead at 20-18. Kills from Maria Clemens gave Portland three of its last five points to finish off the Bulldogs, combined with kills from Usher and Sievers.
Fresno State was led by 10 kills from Baylee Platt, while Brianna Clarke and Kelly Leonardo each added seven kills.
Portland next plays Cal State Northridge on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. at The Matadome in Northridge, Calif.
