The Portland Pilots continue the 2009 volleyball season by returning home for five matches in five days. The Pilots begin their week by playing their home-opener against non-conference opponent Oregon State on Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 7:00 p.m. at the Chiles Center.
The next day, UP hosts the 2009 Nike Portland Invitational that includes three teams playing a total of four matches in three days. Portland and American University get things started with a match on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 7:00 p.m. American then faces New Mexico at 7:00 p.m. as the tournament’s lone match on Friday. UP squares off in a second meeting against American at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday before wrapping up the tourney that same day with a match against New Mexico at 7:00 p.m.
The Pilots return to the court for a non-conference match against No. 14 Oregon on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 2:00 p.m.
Game Day Coverage
All Portland home matches will be video streamed live at www.pilotsvideo.com. A season pass is available for $40 (13 matches), while single-game matches are $8. Free audio streams and live stats will continue to be available at www.portlandpilots.com.
Ticket Information
Single game tickets for all Portland home events can be purchased through Ticketmaster at (503) 224-4400, online at www.ticketmaster.com, at all Ticketmaster outlets, as well as in-person at the Pilot Box Office (11am-5pm, M-F).
Scouting Oregon State
OSU finished opening weekend 2-1, which included a 3-0 win against 24th-ranked Colorado State. Senior outside hitter Rachel Rourke leads the attack with 4.27 kills per game so far, while senior setter Camilla Ah-Hoy has a team-high 3.18 digs per game. The Beavers went 14-17 last season, while posting a 3-15 mark in the Pacific-10 Conference. Nine returning letterwinners and five starters are joined by six newcomers this fall.
Taras Liskevych enters his fifth year as head coach at Oregon State.
Oregon State leads the series 38-6. OSU has claimed wins over the Pilots their last 24 meetings, most recently defeating the Pilots 3-0 in Corvalis, Ore. in 2008.
Scouting American University
The Eagles are coming off a 0-3 weekend at home, falling to George Mason, George Washington and Georgetown. Sophomore outside hitter Rebecca Heath, last season’s Patriot League Rookie of the Year, holds up the defense with 2.30 digs per game so far. Junior rightside hitter Angelina Waterman paces the Eagle attack with 4.00 kills per game. Last year they went 24-9 overall, 13-1 in the Patriot League Conference and advanced to the NCAA Tournament second round. 10 letterwinners return this fall in addition to four newcomers.
Head coach Barry Goldberg enters his 21st year leading the Eagles. He is on the verge of 500 career wins with a 498-187 overall record.
This is the first ever meeting between the two teams.
Scouting New Mexico
UNM went 3-0 to win the MCM Elegante Lobo Classic last weekend with wins over Delaware, Portland State and UC Santa Barbara. Senior middleblocker Anna Lehne was named tournament MVP, while junior setter Jade Michaelsen was named the Mountain West Conference Co-Preseason Player of the Year. Last season, the Lobos finished third in the MWC and notched a 22-7 overall. 10 letterwinners and four starters return this fall.
Head coach Jeff Nelson enters his third season at the helm of the UNM program.
This is the first ever meeting between the two teams.
Scouting Oregon
The No. 14 Ducks swept the Oregon Classic with wins against San Francisco, Eastern Washington and Missouri State. Last weekend senior outside hitter Sonja Newcombe was tournament MVP and currently sits at 3.33 kills and 2.78 digs per game, both team highs. Oregon went 25-9 last season (11-7 Pacific-10) with an NCAA third round appearance. Six returning letterwinners and four starters are joined by seven newcomers this fall.
Jim Moore enters his fifth year as head coach for the Ducks.
Oregon owns a 25-5 advantage in the all-time series. Most recently, the Ducks defeated the Pilots 3-0 in Eugene, Ore. in 2008.
Looking Back
Portland opened the 2009 season by winning one of three matches last weekend at the 2009 Nike Cougar Classic All-Tournament Team in Pullman, Wash. On Friday, Portland picked up its first win of the season defeating the Montana State Bobcats 3-0. Jessica Clemens led the way against the Bobcats with a match and season high 13 kills. Jessica’s sister and senior teammate Maria added 11 kills, while senior setter Kaylyn Jones added 22 assists. In her collegiate debut, freshman setter Madison Smith totaled 16 assists. Junior transfer Jessica Baty was also impressive in her Pilot debut making 16 digs on the day.
On Saturday, the Pilots were defeated by UC Davis 3-0 before being swept by the Washington State Cougars later that night. Against the Cougars, Jessica Clemens recorded a double-double of 11 kills and 11 digs for the Pilots.
All-Tournament Material
In tournament action this season, junior Jessica Clemens and sophomore Marissa Plummer were named to the 2009 Nike Cougar Classic All-Tournament Team in Pullman, Wash. Aug. 28-29.
Home Openers
Last season, the Pilots played their home-opening match against Arizona State falling 3-1 to the Sun Devils. Since 2000, UP is 5-4 in home-openers, most recently a 3-2 victory in 2007 against Portland State. Portland is 10-13 in home-openers since becoming an NCAA Division I program in 1986. All-time, the Pilots are 14-16 in home-openers, dating back to the program’s inception in 1979.
The Firepower
The Pilots return a variety of talent this year, losing three starters from a year ago. Three seniors will play their final season in Pilot purple. Senior setter Kaylyn Jones dished out 8.66 assists per game last season, while coach Houck says middle blocker Shelley Sievers is at times unstoppable and capable of wreaking havoc at the net. Outside hitter Maria Clemens, who Houck describes as having an amazing combination of work ethic and athleticism, averaged 1.19 digs and 1.49 assists per game last season.
The Pilots bring back plenty of firepower with junior Jessica Clemens and 2008 WCC All-Freshmen selection sophomore Marissa Plummer. Jessica Clemens finished last season with 2.46 kills per game and 29 service aces. Plummer posted a team-high 81 total blocks.
Anchoring the Pilots defense is junior libero Danielle Dupar who recorded 2.75 digs per game last year.
Challenging Schedule
With a schedule that has the Pilots slated to face seven opponents tabbed as Top 25 teams in the AVCA Division I Coaches Preseason Poll, its obvious Coach Houck is looking to make tremendous steps in making his team ready to compete in the WCC. Portland will square up against two ranked conference opponents in No. 15 San Diego and No. 25 Santa Clara. Other conference programs also receiving votes are Pepperdine, Saint Mary’s and San Francisco. UP also faces No. 14 Oregon early on in the season, followed by competition against three other Top 25 teams at the Kansas State Invitational Tournament in Manhattan, Kan. The Pilots will be tested by No. 19 Purdue, No. 22 Kansas State and No. 25 Kentucky. Rounding off the ranked-opponents is No.12 USC.
The Newest Pilots
Six newcomers will be enjoying their first season on The Bluff in 2009 including two redshirts. Junior Libero/DS Jessica Baty and freshman outside hitter Rachel Femling will debut as Pilots after a redshirt season last fall. Kate Bostwick (5-9, Pendleton, Ore.), an outside hitter from Pendleton High, was an Oregon 5A First Team All-State selection as a junior and Intermountain Conference Volleyball Player of the Year her senior year. Madison Smith (5-10, Palos Verdes, Calif.), a setter from Palos Verdes High School, was co-MVP of the Division IAA Bay League during her senior year. Ariel Usher (6-1, Forest Grove, Ore.), a Glencoe High School middle blocker, was a first team All-State Selection as a junior and was named the Northwest Oregon Conference (NWOC) Volleyball Player of the Year during both her junior and senior seasons. Rounding out the incoming class is Jessica Nguyen (5-2, Beaverton, Ore.), a DS from Southridge High who was the Metro League Co-Player of the Year as a senior and all-state honorable mention. The team looks well positioned to begin a new tradition with this core group and the additions to come in the future.
Aces in the Classroom
During the spring, the University of Portland volleyball program was honored with the NCAA’s APR Public Recognition Award. Awards are given to teams that post multiyear APRs in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports. It marks the third consecutive year that the Portland volleyball team earned APR Public Recognition. The APR provides a real-time look at a team’s academic success each semester or quarter by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The APR includes eligibility, retention, and graduation in the calculation and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport.
Wally Pilot
After a five year sabbatical, Wally, the beloved University of Portland mascot, finally made his return to The Bluff in the summer of 2009. His first official volleyball game will be on Sept. 2, 2009 at the Pilots home opener versus Oregon State. Since his last appearance, Wally has made several improvements to his physique in order to keep up with the other mascots around the nation (come on over to the Chiles Center to see!). Wally will be entertaining fans all season long at the Chiles Center and supporting the Pilots.
