PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots won their second five set match in a row over the Santa Clara Broncos on Saturday afternoon in the Chiles Center. Emily Liger led the Pilots during the 3-2 win with 20 kills.

Santa Clara drops to 18-6 and 9-3 in the WCC with set scores of 25-20, 13-25, 25-18, 22-25, and 15-6.

Portland (13-10, 3-8 WCC) used an 8-1 run to pull away from the Broncos in the first set 14-7. Katie Sullivan expanded the Pilots lead to eight with an impressive kill off what seemed like no angle at 18-10. The Broncos worked back, shrinking the Portland lead to three at 22-19, but the Pilots won three of the last four points to close out the set.

Santa Clara responded in the second jumping out to an 8-2 lead that would hold through the set. Sullivan set up Liger for an out of system kill that stifled some of the Bronco momentum at 11-4. The Pilots turned away three set points before Santa Clara got the 25^th point of the set and tied the match up 1-1.

The third set belonged to Portland who took control of the set after Liger hit two kills in a row to go up 9-6. Hannah Troutman had her thirteenth service ace of the season to keep the momentum in favor of the home side at 18-11. The Broncos went on a three point run to cut into the Pilot lead 21-17, but Troutman struck again and sent Portland on a 4-1 run to win the third set.

Liger caught fire in the fourth registering four kills and a pair of solo blocks during the set. Portland earned a five point lead at 12-7, but Santa Clara scored four points in a row to close the gap to one. From then on it was point-for-point until the Broncos got to set point thanks to a four point run. Sarah Savoca turned away two set points with a kill and a block, but the visitors from the Bay Area got to 25 to win the set and force a fifth tie breaker.  

Morgan Robinson notched her second service ace of the match as a part of a 5-1 Pilot run to open up the final set. Liger then hit a pair of kills down the line to put Portland up 8-2. Setter Djurdjina Milovic then had a heads up setter dump to make the score 10-3. Savoca and Brittney Markwith teamed up for two blocks in a row to keep the momentum going. Troutman hit her 17^th kill of the match to give the Pilots the set and match win.

The Pilots will hit the road next week to sunny Southern California to take on Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine.