PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Pepperdine Waves closed out sets three and four to hold off the Portland Pilots comeback on Thursday night in the Chiles Center. Portland had a season high 16 blocks during the match and were led offensively by Hannah Troutman who tallied 23 kills in the 3-1 loss.

Pepperdine (12-6, 3-2 WCC) held off Portland (11-6, 1-4 WCC) with set scores of 25-21, 18-25, 25-23, and 25-23.

Sarah Savoca earned the first point of the night with a kill down the middle, but the beginning of the first set belonged to Pepperdine who jumped out to an 8-2 lead. The Waves extended their lead to 14-6 and seemed like they would maintain the momentum and roll to the set win. Portland, turned the set around as Troutman compiled six kills during a 12-3 run to put the Pilots ahead 18-17. Pepperdine scored the next couple points to regain the lead which they would not lose. Both Pepperdine and Portland compiled a .217 hitting percentage during the set.

The two sides came out even in the second, and Troutman and Makayla Lindburg combined on a huge block to set the score even at six and tie the set for the fifth time in the set. Portland and Pepperdine were tied on two more occasions before the Pilots scored three in a row to take the lead 11-8. Big scramble defensive plays and strong serving kept the momentum in favor of the home side who did not relinquish the lead. The Pilots ended with a 7-1 run to close out the set and tie the match heading into the break. Portland had six blocks during the set including the final point which came courtesy of Lindburg and Savoca.

An out of system kill by Troutman ended the early Wave momentum in the third which allowed the Pilots to cut the lead to two at 6-4 off of a kill by Brittney Markwith. Pepperdine won the ensuing point and kept the Pilots at an arm's length through the middle of the set. Troutman's 17^th kill of the match sent the Pilots on a three point run to pull within three of the visitors at 20-17. Portland held off a pair of Wave set points before Pepperdine attack leader Nikki Lyons hit a kill to give the visitors from Malibu the 2-1 advantage heading into the fourth set.

Two kills by Liger and one by Markwith got things rolling for Portland as they worked to a four point lead at 8-4 in the fourth. The lead would not last as the Waves fought back to take the lead 10-9. Troutman then drilled a cross court kill just inside of the line to tie the set up at 10, but the Waves responded with a three point run to take the lead at 13-10. Pepperdine held the lead until Djurdjina Milovic set up Markwith for a kill that tied the set up at 16. Troutman ended a four point Pepperdine run and sent the Pilots on a 5-1 run to tie the set at 21. Troutman struck again, this time with a service ace to put the Pilots up 23-22. Pepperdine won the next three to close out the set and win the match.

The Pilots are next in action on Saturday in the Chiles Center when they take on the Loyola Marymount Lions at 12:00 p.m.