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PORTLAND PILOTS (8-16, 2-9 WCC)
vs Saint Mary’s Gaels (11-12, 5-6 WCC)
vs No. 21 San Diego Toreros (23-3, 8-3 WCC)
Dates: Thursday Nov. 3 and Saturday Nov. 5
Location: Portland, Ore. - Chiles Center (4,852)
Starting Times:
Thursday 7:00 p.m.
Saturday 1:00 p.m.
Live Stats/Video: portlandpilots.com
Pilots All-Time:
vs SMC, SMC leads 32-20
vs USD, San Diego leads 42-7
Quick Hits...
• Portland returns home for a pair of matches as Saint Mary's and No. 21 San Diego arrive on The Bluff.
• The Pilots play the Gaels on Thursday night at 7 p.m. before taking on the Toreros on Saturday at 1 p.m.
• Saturday’s match is the final home match of the season and the final time seniors Marissa Plummer and Kati Hronek will play in front of the Chiles Center crowd.
• Portland lost both matches last week while on the road, as the LMU Lions and No. 18 Pepperdine Waves defeated the Pilots in three sets.
Clog in the Middle? Call a Plummer
• Senior MB Marissa Plummer has already established herself as one of the best middle blockers in school history.
• She has 86 total blocks this season, 18 solo and 68 assisted.
• Plummer ranks fourth in school history with 357 total blocks.
• 292 of her career blocks are of the assisted variety, ranking her third in school history, behind Christy Martin (319) and Beth Henson (407).
• During the Nike Portland Invitational, she tallied 37 kills, 15 blocks, and five aces to earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
High Five
• Redshirt-junior MB Rachel Femling has been a solid contributor again this year for the Pilots.
• She is second on the team in attacking percentage while recording 149 kills and 58 blocks.
• Femling earned a spot on her first career All-Tournament Team at the Golden Dome Invitational after posting 18 kills on a .289 attacking percentage with 14 blocks.
• She recorded 10 blocks (9 assisted, 1 solo) against Lipscomb for her second career 10+ block match.
Autumn Springs and the Ball Falls
• Sophomore OH Autumn Wedan has become a steady source of points for the Pilots as the season has progressed.
• She averages 2.54 kills per set, posting 10+ kills in 11 of 12 matches earlier this season, including seven straight.
• Against the Saint Mary’s Gaels on Oct. 8, Wedan posted a career-high 19 kills on a .421 attacking percentage.
• Wedan made her first career All-Tournament Team (31 kills and 8 digs) at the Golden Dome Invitational.
MJ Sets the Scene
• Stepping into her first season as the Pilots’ primary setter, sophomore Monica Jordan has 797 assists so far this season.
• In addition to averaging 8.22 assists per set, Jordan has 57 kills on the season with 179 digs.
• On eight occasions, she’s posted 40+ assists in a match, including four 50+ matches.
Ariel Assault, Part III
• Now in her junior season, OH Ariel Usher continues to find open court on her attacks.
• After a slow start to the season, she now leads the Pilots with 240 kills.
• The home splits play out favorably for the native of Hillsboro, Ore. Through 13 matches, Usher has per set averages of 2.79 kills, 1.65 digs, and .60 blocks.
Like a Boss-twick
• Junior OH Kate Bostwick has settled in as an offensive and defensive weapon this season.
• Named to the Portland Nike Invitational All-Tournament Team after recording 44 kills and 43 digs.
• Bostwick was also named to the Aztec Invitational All-Tournament Team (35 kills, 26 digs, 5 blocks), her first career All-Tournament Team.
New Kids on the Block
• Following the departure of libero Danielle Dupar, Jacqueline Rodriguez and Katie Mardesich have stepped up in their freshman seasons.
• Rodriguez leads the team with 3.10 digs per set (158 total), qualifying for the sixth highest career average in school history (minimum 50 sets).
• Mardesich, a Portland native, is close behind with an average of 3.00 digs per set while leading the team with 281 total, qualifying for the eight best career average in school history.
Take it to the Limit
• The Pilots defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Oct. 22 in their 11th five-set match of the season, a program record.
• Portland averages 4.21 sets/match, the most in the country.
• Of the 17 Division 1 schools that average 4.00 sets/match or more, three are members for the WCC (Portland - 4.21, Saint Mary’s - 4.04, Gonzaga - 4.00).
A New Look...
• For the ?rst time in more than 30 years, the West Coast Conference has a new member as Brigham Young University formally joined the WCC last summer.
• The Cougars will field a team in 11 of the Conference’s 13 sponsored sports.
• With the change in membership, the WCC launched its new brand identity with a new logo, it’s first visual change since 1995.
They don’t call it ‘GameCentral’ for nothing...
• UP is entering its second year of providing fans with ‘GameCentral’, which is a free portal via PortlandPilots.com that offers live video, live audio and live stats all on the same page for all home matches.
• The internet broadcast will feature a three-four camera production this season with instant replays.
Moore Bloggin’ on the Bluff
• Freshman OH/S Sam Moore takes the reins of the volleyball blog this season.
• Be sure to visit PortlandPilots.com/MooreBlog all season long to get an in-depth look at the UP Volleyball Program.
More Exposure
• And don’t forget to visit the team’s facebook page for exclusive updates, photos, and information. The page can be found by searching for ‘Portland Pilots Volleyball’ on the facebook home page.
Getting to Know the Pilots
• This week’s edition of Side-Out features Sam Moore, a freshman setter/outside hitter from Newport, Ore.
