Box Score Box Score
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Four Portland Pilots notched a dozen or more kills but the Pilots rally in the fifth and final set fell just short against the Sacramento State Hornets Saturday evening at Gill Coliseum in the Corvallis Invitational.
Down 9-4 in the final set, the Pilots (1-2) rallied for five straight points to tie the game and the teams exchanged points back and forth the rest of the way before the Hornets (2-1) pulled out the final three points to capture the match.
The Pilots were hoping to duplicate their late set magic from the fourth set. Tied at 21-21, Portland took over to rattle off four consecutive points to force the fifth and final set, capped off by the deciding kill from junior outside hitter Kati Hronek. Hronek finished the evening with a game and career-high 17 kills.
Junior Marissa Plummer added 12 kills of her own along with five blocks (1 solo, 4 assists) while sophomores Kate Bostwick (12) and Ariel Usher (16) combined for 28 kills. Usher has now recorded three consecutive double-digit kill games and leads the Pilots with 42 kills.
Sophomore setter Madison Smith set a new career-high in assists with 48. Smith posted 41 assists in the first game of the Corvallis Invitational on Friday, which had been her highest total to date.
Janelle Currey led the Hornets with 16 kills while Kelsey Elston added eight blocks. Portland held a 63-45 advantage in kills but the Hornets posted 16.5 blocks against the Pilots’ five.
The Pilots dropped a morning match to touranment champion Illinois State in straight sets while Sacramento State defeated Oregon State in five sets earlier in the afternoon.
All-Tournament Team:
MVP Mallory Leggett Illinois State
Shannon McGlaughlin Illinois State
Janelle Currey Sacramento State
Kelsey Elston Sacramento State
Ariel Usher Portland
Jill Sawatzky Oregon State
Portland. who finished the tournament in third place, now heads to the SpringHill Suites Shocker Classic next weekend in Kansas where they will take on Stephen F. Austin for two games before taking on the hosts, Wichita State.
