MALIBU, Calif. --- Junior outside hitter Kati Hronek recorded nine kills and three blocks while junior middle blocker Marissa Plummer added six kills and three blocks for Portland on Saturday afternoon at the Firestone Fieldhouse but the Pepperdine Waves swept the Pilots (25-19, 25-11, 25-17).

 

The Pilots (8-14, 1-5 WCC) kept the Waves in check during the first and third sets. With Portland leading 10-9 in the first, Pepperdine (14-5, 5-0 WCC) took five straight points and 11 of 17 to jump ahead 20-15. Portland strung together a mini-rally, but Lilla Frederick stopped Portland’s momentum with three straight kills at the end of the set.

 

After a second set dominated by the Waves, Portland led the third game 12-10. Pepperdine, ranked in the top 25 as a team for assists, kills, and blocks per set, tied it at 14 before going on an 11-3 run to finish the set and the match.

 

Pepperdine hit .376 as a team and tallied ---- blocks while Frederick posted a double-double with 11 digs and a game-high 15 kills.

 

Sophomore outside hitter Ariel Usher, who missed the previous two matches with an injury, returned in the second set and finished with three kills and two digs. Senior libero Danielle Dupar, fifth in the nation in digs per set, posted 14 digs while sophomore setter Madison Smith had 14 assists.

 

Portland now returns home to begin the longest home stand of the season, starting with Gonzaga (2-20, 0-6 WCC) on Saturday, Oct. 23 at 1 PM. The match will have a “Dig Pink” theme to it, where fans are encouraged to join players and coaches in wearing pink in support of breast cancer awareness.