PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots took the first set from the #12 BYU Cougars, but the visitors came back to win the West Coast Conference match 3-1 in the Chiles Center on Thursday night. The first set win marked just the second set that the Pilots have ever won over the Cougars in program history. Emily Liger led the way offensively for the Pilots with 26 kills.

BYU (22-3, 12-2 WCC) completes the comeback over Portland (14-12, 4-10 WCC) with set scores of 24-26, 25-20, 26-24, and 25-18.

Portland was down 9-3 in the first set before scoring six points in a row to tie it up. The two sides were then point-for-point through the middle of the set. The Pilots then went on a three point run thanks to two kills by Liger and a service ace by Monica Gajda. BYU worked back to tie the set at 21 before Lacy Haddock had a service error that gave the lead back to Portland. A long rally ended with a kill by Hannah Troutman to set the Pilots up for set point at 25-24. Liger then struck again with her ninth kill of the set to give Portland the set win.

The second set started just as competitive as the first ended. Katie Sullivan and Djurdjina Milovic combined for a block to put the Pilots up 4-3. The Cougars then began to separate from Portland, but another block, this time by Sullivan and Savoca, kept the Pilots in it at 13-11. Troutman tipped the ball over the BYU block to close the gap to four at 17-13. Liger and Brittney Markwith added a pair of kills to pull within three of the visitors at 19-16, but the rest of the second belonged to the Cougars who went on to tie the match up at one all.

Portland's first three points of the third set came off of blocks and an ensuing service ace by Gajda gave the Pilots the lead at 4-3. Neither side could shake the other through the rest of the set as both teams struggled to gain momentum. Mikaela Nocetti had a service ace to put Portland up 17-16 and the fifth team block of the set once again gave the Pilots a one point lead at 20-19. BYU broke through earning a two point lead at 24-22. Portland held off a pair of set points to tie the set at 24, but the Cougars scored the next two points to close out the third.

A Pilot pancake turned into a Troutman kill putting the home side up 4-3 early in the fourth. The Cougars then gained some momentum, but a kill by Sullivan pulled Portland within three at 13-10. BYU extended their lead to five at 18-13 thanks to a kill by 6-4 middle blocker Amy Boswell. Liger hit a kill down the line to make the score 22-17, but the Cougars were able to take the fourth and complete the comeback.

Portland finished the match with 12 team blocks, three more than BYU who currently leads the WCC in blocks.

The Pilots will return to the court on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. when the San Diego Toreros come to The Bluff.