Box Score (PDF) I
2015 Schedule/ResultsPORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots completed the sweep of the Idaho Vandals in their second match of the 2015 North Harbour Marriott Invitational. The Pilots extended their win streak to seven and home win streak to six on Saturday morning in the Chiles Center.
Portland (7-1) adds Idaho (1-7) to the string of teams that the Pilots have swept with set scores of 25-22, 25-14, and 25-23.
The first point of the match came off of a block by Makayla Lindburg and Hannah Troutman after a couple Portland team defensive plays kept the point alive. The Pilots then used a four point run while Mikaela Nocetti was serving to go up 8-3. Idaho worked back to within one of the Pilots at the 19-18 scoreline, but the Pilots held off the Vandals to take the first set. Emily Liger recorded six kills during the set to lead Portland.
After trading points back and forth, Portland used a nine point run to pull away from Idaho. During the run, Liger served up three aces and Troutman and Lindburg combined for another block. The gap proved too much for the Vandals to recover from as the Pilots cruised to a 25-14 second set win. Portland was led again by Liger who notched six kills for her second straight set. Defensively, the Pilots had five blocks during the set.
Portland Jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the third and maintained momentum through the beginning of the set. With the score at 10-6 in favor of the Pilots, Troutman reached over the press row table for a stray ball too keep the play alive. Portland would go on to win that point and take the five point advantage 11-6. The Vandals responded with a seven point run that shifted the momentum and gave Idaho the 16-15 advantage. Djurdjina Milovic ended the run with a solo block that sent the two sides on a point-for-point battle to 25. Portland closed out the set with a pair of points to set the final score of the third set at 25-23.
The last time Portland was 7-1 was in 1981 when the Pilots competed at the NAIA level, and Portland has not had a seven game win streak since 1992.
The Pilots will be back in action tonight at 7:00 p.m. when they take on the Cal Poly Mustangs in the final match of the 2015 North Harbour Marriott Invitational.
