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PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots extended their win streak to three with a 3-1 win over the Nevada Wolf Pack in their season opener at the Chiles Center on Friday night. Emily Liger and Hannah Troutman led the Pilots offensively with 18 and 17 kills respectively, and, as a team, the Pilots recorded 89 digs and 14 blocks.

Portland (3-1) won the first match of the Portland Classic over Nevada (1-3) with set scores of 25-19, 25-22, 19-25, and 25-23.

Portland came back in the first to take the early match lead 1-0. Wolf Pack outside hitter Madison Foley hit three kills in a row to jump ahead of the Pilots 11-7, but a kill and a service ace by Liger turned the tides in favor of the Pilots. Troutman, who led Portland in the set with eight kills, had a pair of points that sent the Pilots on a 10-2 run which separated the two sides as Portland sailed to the set win 25-19.

The Pilots came from behind in the second to win 25-22 and pull within one game of winning the match. Nevada went on a 9-2 run to start the set, but the Pilots slowly crept back and pulled within one of the Wolf Pack at 16-15. A couple of key solo blocks by Liger and five hits by Sarah Savoca kept Portland within arm's length of Nevada. The Pilots tied the game up at 21 with a kill down the line by Savoca and on the next play Savoca combined with Brittney Markwith on a block to put the Pilots ahead for the first time of the set. Portland completed the comeback on a Liger service ace.

Nevada jumped out to an early lead again in the third and held off the Pilots to take the third set. Portland used a six point run that was started by a Katie Sullivan kill and ended with a Monica Gajda service ace tied the set up at 13. However, the Wolf Pack maintained control and used six different scorers to force a fourth game.

Both teams came out ready in the fourth, but it was the Pilots who pulled ahead late to win the set 25-23. An 8-2 run in the middle of the set gave the Pilots a bit of breathing room, but Nevada cut into the lead and jumped ahead taking the 23-22 lead. Markwith then had a huge block to tie the set at 23 and give the Pilots the momentum to get to 25 and win their third match of the season.

The Portland Classic will continue tomorrow as the Pilots take on Grand Canyon at 11:00 a.m. and UC Riverside at 7:00 p.m.