PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots won the 2015 North Harbour Marriott Invitational with a five set thriller over the Cal Poly Mustangs Saturday night in the Chiles Center. With the win, the Pilots extend their win streak to eight, and tie the best start in program history at 8-1.

Portland also beat St. Francis Brooklyn and Idaho this weekend en route to the tournament win. Emily Liger was awarded the Offensive MVP and Morgan Robinson earned Defensive MVP honors, while Hannah Troutman landed on the All-Tournament team.

Cal Poly drops to 7-2 on the season with set scores of 25-21, 22-25, 25-11, 15-25, and 15-11.

The Pilots scored the first five points of the match to earn the momentum, but Cal Poly slowly worked back to level the set at 13. The middle of the set belonged to the Mustangs as they took a three point lead at the 19-16 scoreline. Djurdjina Milovic served the Pilots back into the match with a three point run to tie the set again, this time at 19. Portland then caught fire and went on a 6-2 run to close out the first set and take the 1-0 match lead. Liger led the way for the home side with five of the Pilots 17 kills.

The second set was a battle all the way and in the end Cal Poly pulled through to tie the match up 1-1. Liger and Makayla Lindburg made a wall to give the Pilots a two point lead at 16-14, but the Mustangs were right back in it scoring the next couple points. There were 12 tie scores and six lead changes through the game as neither team could shake the other. Troutman hit nine kills to lead the Pilots, but Cal Poly's 18 kills propelled them to the set win.

Troutman got the scoring started for the Pilots in the third, which sent Portland on an 8-1 run to take early control of the set. A long rally ended with Liger hitting a cross court kill to give Portland a ten point lead. That difference would prove too much for the Mustangs to make up as Portland went on to win the third set 25-11. The Pilots notched 14 kills and three blocks during the set.

The Mustangs came out running in the fourth and never relinquished the momentum to win the set and force a fifth tie breaker set.

Both sides were even to start the final set, but Troutman drove a shot down the line and on the next play Milovic and Brittney Markwith combined for a block to give Portland the 6-4 lead. The fans were on their feet in the Chiles Center for the rest of the set as the Pilots combined great defensive efforts with hard shots to claim the set, match, and tie a program best beginning record which dates back to 1981.  

The Pilots will be on the road next week at the Fresno State Tournament for the final weekend of non-conference play. First up will be Fresno State at 10:00 a.m. on Sept. 18.