FRESNO, Calif. --- The Southern Utah Thunderbirds ended the Portland Pilots ten match win streak on Saturday morning at the Fresno State Classic. Emily Liger and Hannah Troutman led the team with 12 and 10 kills, respectively, but the Thunderbirds needed just three sets to give the Pilots their second loss of the season.
 
Southern Utah (9-4) ended Portland's (10-2) ten match win streak with set scores of 25-17, 25-21, and 27-25.
 
Both sides were point-for-point with each other through the beginning of the first set, but the Thunderbirds used a five point run to take the lead late 17-12. Portland could not gain enough momentum to close the gap and Southern Utah went on to win the first set and take the match lead 1-0. Liger led the way for the Pilots during the set with five kills.
 
Portland responded in the second taking an early 7-4 lead, but the Thunderbirds worked back to tie the set at 8.
The two teams were even, and Maddy Mandon hit a kill high off the Southern Utah block and out of bounds to tie the set again at 11. The set was once again tied, this time at 17, when Southern Utah went on a three point run to go ahead 20-17. The Pilots were unable to close the gap as the Thunderbirds took the second set.
 
The third set was tied at 8 before Liger used a pair of kills to put the Pilots up by two and a Thunderbird error made the score 11-8 in favor of Portland. The Pilots kept up the momentum and Troutman hit a kill that gave Portland a five point lead at 18-13. Southern Utah proved resilient using a 7-0 run to take the lead at 21-19. Portland came back and was at set point, but the Thunderbirds tied the set up and then took two points in a row to win the set and match.
 
The Pilots will return home for their first match of WCC play when they take on Saint Mary's at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24.