SEATTLE, Wash. --- The Portland Pilots volleyball team closed out the 2015 season with a tough 3-2 loss to the Seattle University Redhawks on Friday night at the Seattle Academy. In her final match as a Pilot, Emily Liger led the way offensively with 25 kills.

Seattle (18-11, 9-5 WAC) held off Portland (16-15, 6-12 WCC) with set scores of 25-19, 14-25, 20-25, 28-26, and 15-10.

The Redhawks jumped out to an early 10-2 lead and held the momentum through the first set to take the match lead 1-0. Liger led the way for Portland during the set with four kills while Katie Sullivan hit .667 during the set on two kills.

The two sides were point-for-point until the Pilots strung together eight points in a row to take an eight point lead at 16-8. Hannah Troutman and Sullivan combined for a huge block to set the Pilots up 22-12 as Portland rolled to the set win. Liger added seven kills to her total as the Pilots tied the match up at one.

Liger's 14^th kill of the match put Portland up 11-7 in the third. The Pilots worked to a 19-11 lead, when the Redhawks used a 4-1 run to cut the lead to five at 20-15. Portland edged out Seattle to close out the third as the Pilots took the set and the match lead at 2-1. Liger continued to lead Portland with four kills during the set.

Seattle took an early lead until the Pilots worked back and a block by Sullivan and Makayla Lindburg tied the fourth set up at nine. Troutman then had a diving pancake save that sent the ball over the net and in to put Portland up 13-10. The Redhawks worked back and both sides went point-for-point through the rest of the set. After each side had opportunities at set point, it was Seattle that earned two in a row to win the fourth and force a fifth tie-breaker set. Liger added seven kills to her match total during the set.

The Redhawks opened up the fifth by scoring the first five points. The home side maintained the momentum and took the set 15-10 and the match 3-2.

Liger finished her career with 1,089 kills which puts her at seventh in program history. Her 440 kills this season are the third most in one season by any Pilot in program history.

2015 proved to be one of the best seasons in program history at the NCAA division one level. With second year head coach Brent Crouch at the helm, the Pilots navigated their way to the first winning season since 1989. Portland's six West Coast Conference wins were the most since 1994 and the 8th place conference finish is two slots higher than the Pilots were picked to finish in the 2015 WCC pre-season poll.

Portland's 16 wins were the most since 1991 and the 10 home match wins were the most as a division one program. The Pilots started the season off 11-2 which was the best start since 1981 when the program competed at the NAIA level. The Nov. 14 win over #23 San Diego is believed to be the first time in program history that the Pilots beat a team ranked in the national top 25.

Looking ahead to 2016, the team will only lose one player in senior Emily Liger. Liger has been a go-to outside hitter and has led the Pilots offensively during the last two seasons. To replace Liger will be current freshman Katie Barker, who red shirted this season, and three incoming freshman recruits in Cali Thompson, Izzy Guzik, and Emma Scanlan (complete release). The spring of 2016 will also be the first season that Portland will compete in beach volleyball (complete release).