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PORTLAND PILOTS (5-6, 0-0 WCC)
vs. No. 24 SAN DIEGO TOREROS (7-5, 0-0 WCC)
Date: Thursday, Sept. 25, 2014
Location: San Diego, Calif.
Time: 7:00 p.m. (Pacific)
Arena: Jenny Craig Pavilion
Live Video: TheW.tv
Live Stats: USDToreros.com
 
POR vs. USD
Overall Series: 7-47
Here: 5-22
There: 2-25
Neutral: 0-0
Last: @USD 3, POR 0, Nov. 14, 2013
 
PORTLAND PILOTS (5-6, 0-0 WCC)
vs. No. 11 BYU COUGARS (9-2, 0-0 WCC)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014
Location: Provo, Utah
Time: 12:00 noon (Pacific)
Arena: Smith Fieldhouse
Live Stats: BYUCougars.com
Live Video: BYUtvSports.com
TV: BYUtv

POR vs. BYU
Overall Series: 0-6
Here: 0-3
There: 0-3
Neutral: 0-0
Last: @BYU 3, POR 0, Nov. 16, 2013
 
THIS WEEK
• This is the first weekend of conference play for the Pilots.
• Portland will first head south to San Diego, Calif., to take on the No. 24 San Diego Toreros. The match begins at 7:00 p.m. at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.
• The Pilots will fly to Provo, Utah, to face the No. 11 BYU Cougars on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. (Pacific) in the Smith Fieldhouse.
• The match verses USD will be on TheW.tv and the match against BYU will be on BYUtv.
• Portland takes on USD for the 54th time in program history with the last match-up occurring in 2013 in San Diego and going in favor of the Toreros.
• The Pilots will play BYU for the seventh time in school history. The last time Portland and BYU took the court, the Cougars came away with the win in three sets. BYU leads the overall series 6-0.
 
LAST WEEK
• The Pilots were in Orem, Utah, competing in the La Quinta Inn and Suites Invitational.
• Makayla Lindburg was named to the all-tournament team after recording a double-double in each of the three matches on the weekend.
• Portland went 1-2 during the Invitational.
• The Pilots beat UC Riverside in five sets on Friday.
• Portland went 0-2 on Saturday with losses to Idaho State and Utah Valley.
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS
• Portland started out the season strong by winning the Baylor Tournament. Emily Liger was named offensive MVP and Katie Mardesich received defensive MVP honors, while also being named to the All-Tournament team.
• Liger recorded a career high 29 kills in the Pilots Sept. 6 match against San Jose State. This tally puts her at the top of the total kills in four sets WCC ranking. The program record number of kills in a four set match is 32 and was set by Cathy Cook in 1998 against Memphis. Liger currently sits at 11th in the nation in points per set with 5.15, is at 14th in the nation in kills per set at 4.52, and is 47th in the nation in total kills with 190. • Portland has the most digs in the conference with 704 and is led by Mardesich who has the second highest individual mark in the conference with 170 digs.
• Freshman setter Ali Koumelis was named to the all-tournament team after completing 68 assists during the Idaho Nike Invitational.
• The Pilots are coached by first-year head coach Brent Crouch. Crouch comes to Portland by way of WCC foe Saint Mary's, where he was an assistant coach.  Also new to the program are assistant coaches Nate Ngo and Nellie Coleman.
• Portland returned 10 letterwinners from the 2013 team while only losing three seniors. Five newcomers joined the 2014 team to round out the roster at 15 players.
• Key returners for the Pilots are senior outside hitter Emily Liger, senior libero Katie Mardesich, and sophomore middle blocker/outside hitter Makayla Lindburg. Mardesich led the team defensively last season with 338 digs, while Liger and Lindburg ranked third and second, respectively, in total kills.
• Ali Koumelis, Maddy Mandon, Morgan Robinson, Sarah Savoca, and Emily Singleton are the newcomers on The Bluff.
• 11 of Portland's 15 players are either freshmen or sophomores.
• The Pilots are heading into their fifth and final weekend in a row on the road after heading to Texas, California, Idaho, and Utah for non-conference play. 
• Portland will be home for the first time this season against Loyola Marymount on Oct. 2 and Pepperdine on Oct. 4.