Box Score
PORTLAND, Ore. --- Junior outside hitter Kati Hronek posted a game-high 10 kills on a .316 attacking percentage but the St. Mary’s Gaels defeated the Portland Pilots by scores of 25-19, 25-11, 25-20 in a three set match Saturday afternoon at the Chiles Center. Sophomore outside hitter Rachel Femling posted led the Pilots with six blocks.
Portland (9-16, 2-7 WCC) opened the third set with leads of 5-1 and 11-5, but St. Mary’s (16-6, 8-1 WCC) battled back to close the gap to 16-15 on the strength of a 6-2 run. The Gaels went on to take 10 of the last 14 points to close out the match.
Portland also opened the match with a lead against a more experienced Gaels’ team. Hronek gave the Pilots an 8-6 leads in the first with a kill in the back of St. Mary’s territory. The Gaels’ earned the serve on the next point and, with Kelly Huston serving three aces, ran eight consecutive points to take a comfortable 14-8 lead. Portland responded with four consecutive points of their own, three of them coming on blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Rachel Femling assisted on all three blocks, teaming up with Hronek twice and freshman outside hitter Autumn Wedan on the other. St. Mary’s again responded with another run to take a 1-0 advantage.
Portland held St. Mary’s to a .156 attacking percentage for the match with the help of 11 blocks. St. Mary’s, the 15th best blocking team in the nation, also recorded 11 blocks as Shannon Lowell posted a game-high eight. On top of Femling’s six blocks, junior middle blocker Marissa Plummer added five and Hronek added four.
Portland now travels to California for two matches. The Pilots take on the San Francisco Dons Thursday, Nov. 4, at 7 PM before taking on the Santa Clara Broncos on Saturday, Nov. 6, at 1 PM. Portland defeated the Dons in five sets earlier this season after losing the WCC home opener to the Broncos in straight sets.
