MALIBU, Calif. --- The Portland Pilots made a dramatic comeback and overcame a two-set deficit to stun the Pepperdine Waves 3-2 in a West Coast Conference volleyball match played in Firestone Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon. The Pilots (10-8, 3-3 WCC) rallied over the Waves (7-11, 1-5 WCC) with set scores of 24-26, 12-25, 25-23, 25-18, and 15-10. This marks the second straight win for the Pilots in Malibu after Portland picked up their first win ever over Pepperdine on their home floor last season. 

The Pilots and Waves began the first set battling back-and-forth before Reghan Pukis and Brittney Markwith registered kills to spark a four-point run, making it 12-8 in Portland's favor. After a timeout from Pepperdine, Sarah Savoca continued the Pilots' momentum with a kill of her own. Savoca then added another kill, along with Sullivan, to bring the set to 20-17. Pepperdine then started a comeback by tying up the set with kills from Jasmine Gross, but Pukis and Hannah Troutman responded with a pair of kills to keep the lead with the visitors. But Pepperdine continued their late rally to push the set into extra points, eventually finishing with kills from Heidi Dyer and Hannah Frohling to win it 26-24.

After the Waves rolled to a win in set number two, the Pilots responded by jumping out to an early lead to begin the third set. The two teams then exchanged points until Frohling and Dyer took the lead for Pepperdine with kills, helping make the score 18-10 for the Waves. That's when the Pilots came together to find their rhythm, and exploded for a 9-2 run, which was ignited by kills from Katie Sullivan and Troutman and consecutive aces from Monica Gajda. Cali Thompson and Pukis added two kills to pull Pilots within one at 20-19. Wylie then stopped the Pilots' momentum momentarily, but Pukis and Katie Barker responded with two more kills to tie it 22-22. Moments later the comeback was complete as Markwith, Savoca, and Sullivan finished the set with kills, handing the Pilots an improbable 25-23 victory.

With all of the momentum now on the side of the team in purple, Savoca, Troutman, and Sullivan combined for four kills to begin the fourth set, handing the Pilots an early 5-3 lead. Thompson and Pukis then chipped in with two kills of their own to increase the lead. Portland maintained a cushion from there with kills from Troutman, which pushed the lead to 18-12. A kill from Pukis and ace from Morgan Robinson then brought the set into its final points where the Pilots held on to win comfortably to even the overall match at 2-2.

The fifth and deciding set was all Pilots after Portland led 5-3 early.  The Waves tried to close the gap, but Pukis helped the Pilots hold onto the lead with a kill. Two straight kills from Troutman brought the set to 12-7, and Sullivan sealed the win by claiming the match point with a kill.

Troutman led the Pilots with a double-double, recording 17 kills and 28 digs on the afternoon. Pukis finished with 11 kills, while Savoca added 10. Gajda and Thompson both registered double digits in digs for the match with 26 and 12, respectively. Thompson also had 48 assists on the afternoon.

The Pilots will next return home to host No. 13 BYU on Oct. 13 and No. 5 San Diego on Oct. 15. in the Chiles Center. The match against USD will be Portland's second match of the season televised on CSN-NW.