Box Score (PDF)   I   2015 Schedule/Results

PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots kept their win streak going with a 3-0 win over the UC Riverside Highlanders in the final match of the Portland Classic at the Chiles Center on Saturday night. The Pilots were led by Hannah Troutman who had 14 kills on the match.

This start marks the best start for the program in the NCAA era. The last time the Pilots were 5-1 was 1984 which was the final year that Portland competed at the NAIA level. The last time Portland won five matches in a row was in 2004 when the team beat Portland State, Cal Poly, UC Davis, Utah Valley State, and Washington State.

Portland (5-1) beat UC Riverside (3-4) with set scores of 26-24, 25-17, and 25-21.

The Pilots and Highlanders went point-for-point in a defensive battle to start the first set before Riverside separated from Portland. Katie Sullivan roofed the Highlander attacker to end a 7-1 Riverside run that put the Southern California team up by 5 at 18-13. Portland then worked back with the help of a pair of 4-0 runs to tie the set at 22. The two sides alternated points until Sullivan used a heads up play and a block to give the Pilots the first set win 26-24. The home squad had six blocks and 30 digs during the first game.

Portland kept the momentum rolling from the first set and jumped out to an early 5-1 lead in the second. Riverside bounced back and tied the set up at 12, but the Highlander momentum would not last as Djurdjina Milovic set Brittney Markwith up for a kill that gave the Pilots the lead that they would not relinquish. Troutman led the Pilots with seven kills en route to the 25-17 set win.

Portland completed the sweep by winning the third set 25-21. Riverside put up a fight as there were seven tie scores and two lead changes during the set, but Liger had six kills and a tough team defense pulled off the set and match win.

The Pilots will be home again next weekend when they host the North Harbour Marriott Invitational. Portland will face the St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday Sept. 11 in the first match of the weekend.