Box Score Lobos Snap Pilots Winning Streak
 
ALBUQUERQUE, NM --- Sophomore middle blocker Bea Loper recorded a career-high nine kills with three blocks, but the Portland Pilots lost a 3-0 decision (25-23, 25-18, 27-25) to the New Mexico Lobos Saturday afternoon at the Sheraton Airport/Comcast Lobo Invitational Tournament at the Johnson Center Gymnasium.
 
Despite the sweep, the Pilots (5-4) pushed the host Lobos (9-1) to the brink in the first and third sets. The first set featured 16 ties and nine lead changes as neither team led by more than two points at any time.
 
Setters Monica Jordan and Lexi Dempsey opened the court for the Pilots early, directing sets to Loper and senior outside hitter Ariel Usher. Usher had four kills in the set including the first two of the match. Balancing the Pilots’ attack was Loper, whose third kill of the set gave the Pilots a 23-22 lead. Loper kept busy on both sides of the ball, as all three of her blocks came in the first set.
 
After a fire alarm cleared the gymnasium late in the second set, Portland head coach Joe Houck shook up his lineup for the third set with junior outside hitter Christina Harris returning to action for the first time since August 25 against Utah. Harris played a pivotal role in the Pilots late run in the third set.
 
Portland had scored back-to-back points by the time Harris recorded her second kill to bring the score to bring the Pilots within five, but she was just getting warmed up. Harris answered two New Mexico kills with a pair of her own kills. As the teams traded the next two points, Harris took her serving opportunity to rally the Pilots all the way back.
 
Down 23-18 when Harris started serving, Portland rattled off six straight points to cap an 11-3 run and take their first lead of the set at 24-23 before New Mexico turned things around to finish the match.
 
“We made a great run in the third set against a very solid team,” Houck said after the match. “I was very proud of our effort at the end to force the set to overtime. It was a special effort by what is rapidly becoming a special team.”
 
Added Houck, “Christina was a big difference maker with her fresh legs and Katie Mardesich and Jessica Nguyen made some great plays off the bench as well.”
 
Portland, which had won its previous four matches, concludes its stay at the Lobo Invitational with another match on Saturday, taking on Georgia Southern at 4:00 p.m. (PST).