Box Score

Box Score

WICHITA, Kan. --- Junior Kati Hronek and sophomore Ariel Usher combined for 29 kills as the Portland Pilots defeated the Wichita State Shockers 3-1 (17-25, 26-24, 25-23, 25-22) in the championship game of the Shocker Classic. 1846 fans watched as Hronek was named the tournament’s MVP while Usher and sophomore setter Madison Smith were named to the All-Tournament Team for the Pilots.

 

Needing a spark after dropping the first set, the Pilots (4-2) trailed 12-11 in the second set before rattling off six straight points and 11 of 16 to take a 23-16 lead. Just like in the first set, however, the Shockers (3-2) rallied to tie the set at 24 and Portland was in danger of dropping the second set. Wichita State rallied off an 11-3 run to capture the first set, but Portland swiped the last two points of the second set to tie the match at a set apiece.

 

Neither team allowed long scoring runs in the third set as there were 12 ties and five lead changes. The largest lead of the set belonged to Portland at 18-14 and the Pilots staved a Shocker rally to go up two sets to one.

 

Portland jumped out to a 17-11 in the fourth set but the Shockers refused to give in, taking 10 of the next 14 points to tie the set at 21. After a Pilots time out, the Shockers took one more point but Hronek tallied on two more kills as the Pilots rattled off four consecutive points to take the set and the match.

 

Despite the close scores, head coach Joe Houck never lost confidence in his players, “I felt like we had control of the match from start to finish” as the Pilots captured the school’s first volleyball tournament title since the 2004 Nike Portland Invitational. Wichita State had lost just one match in each of the previous two seasons in the Charles Koch Arena spanning 27 contests. Overall, the Shockers have now lost just 14 times in 97 matches at home, since 2003, for a winning percentage of .856.

 

Hronek led the Pilots in kills for the second consecutive match on Saturday as she matched her career-high with 17. Usher, on the other hand, pushed her double-digit kill streak to seven with a 12 kill effort. Sophomore setter Madison Smith recorded 42 assists for her fifth 40+ assist match of the season. Through six matches this year, Smith has recorded 253 assists after posting 391 assists in 28 matches last season.

 

Camria Zwiesler led the Shockers with 12 kills and 13 digs. Senior libero Danielle Dupar added a career-best 36 digs for the Pilots. Head coach Joe Houck said after the match “She gave us an incredibly high-level of play off the back row and really deserved to also be on the All-Tournament team.”

 

Portland looks to continue their winning streak next weekend as they head to the Cowgirl Classic in Laramie, Wyo., as one of five participants. The Pilots open against the host Wyoming Cowgirls Friday at 10 a.m. Portland also plays Boise State (Friday at 4 p.m.), Northern Colorado (Saturday at 8 a.m.), and UT Arlington (Saturday at 4 p.m.).

 

2010 Shocker Classic All-Tournament Team

MVP: Kati Hronek, UP

Madison Smith, UP
Ariel Usher, UP
Elizabeth Field, WSU
Camri Zwiesler, WSU
Allison Gideon, SFA