Box Score Box Score
PORTLAND, Ore. – With three players in double digits in kills, the Portland Pilots volleyball team surged past Seattle University to claim a 3-1 victory in non-conference play at the Chiles Center Wednesday night. The Pilots, enjoying home court advantage for the first time since Sept. 9, won with scores of 25-19, 25-20, 21-25 and 25-13.
Portland improves to 4-11 and held a 50-34 advantage in kills against the Redhawks, who now drop to 4-14.
Junior Jessica Clemens recorded her sixth double-double of the season with a match-high 14 kills and 11 digs, while senior Maria Clemens posted 12 kills. In 14 of 15 matches this season, it has been a Clemens sister who has led the Pilots offensively.
Sophomore Marissa Plummer had 10 kills on a team-high .348 hitting percentage and also added three blocks and two digs.
“The Pilots terminated the ball well tonight despite not having a match in two weeks,” said head coach Joe Houck. “As the match went on we got stronger and picked up momentum especially going into the fourth and final set.”
Leading the defense for the Pilots was junior Jessica Baty with a match-high 22 digs. Meanwhile senior Shelley Sievers put up eight blocks total in addition to eight kills.
At the setter position, senior Kaylyn Jones and freshman Madison Smith shared duty dishing out 23 and 22 assists, respectively. The team tied its season high with 49 assists on the night.
12 different Pilots saw action in Portland’s lineup on Wednesday.
The first set started off tight with the score even at 4-4, 7-7 and 10-10 until UP went on a three-point streak capped by a Jones service ace at 13-10. Portland would then surge ahead on an 8-3 run, that included back-to-back stuffs by the blocking duo of Sievers and Ariel Usher, to lead 21-13 going into a SU timeout. Seattle would then go on a 4-1 run to tighten the score to 22-17. But Portland would ultimately claim the set 25-19.
UP leapt out to a 4-0 lead in the second set only to have Seattle inch back to within two points at 9-7. A give-and-go kill by Sievers from a Smith assist, followed by a Jones service ace, extended Portland’s lead to four yet again at 11-7. Seattle would go on a three-point-streak but the Pilots replied with three straight points of their own, to sit at 14-10. The Redhawks were relentless eventually tying the score for the first time at 17-17 and again at 18, 19 and 20. From there, Portland sped away with five consecutive points to seal the set win 25-20 thanks to three kills from Jessica Clemens, one from Plummer and a block from redshirt freshman Rachel Femling and Sievers.
Seattle came out strong in what was a must-win third set for the Redhawks, jumping out to a 5-1 early lead. UP would launch a 10-6 run, that saw five different Pilots contribute points, to even up the score at 11-11. But SU would follow with a four-point-streak to sit comfortably at 15-11. Seattle would extend its advantage at 20-14 and eventually close out at 25-21 to force a fourth set.
In the fourth and final set, UP claimed the early lead 3-0 before hurling ahead to 18-8. It was an all-Portland final set that saw UP hit .265. Seniors Maria Clemens and setter Jones connected on a give-and-go from a Seattle serve to claim match point at 25-13.
Portland next travels to Gonzaga for its first West Coast Conference match of the season on Saturday, Oct. 3. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m. at the Martin Center in Spokane, Wash.
“The team has been building on experience all season long,” said Houck. “Our challenging schedule that included four ranked opponents combined with playing in front of some hostile crowds is money in the bank leading into conference play this weekend.”
