PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots topped the Saint Mary's Gaels 3-1 Thursday night in the Chiles Center in their last stretch of regular season home games. The Pilots won the West Coast Conference match with set scores of 25-21, 25-20, 24-26, and 25-17 to complete their fourth straight win over the Gaels.
 
The Pilots (16-12, 9-7) started out the first set with a run to jump out to a four-point lead. Reghan Pukis, Hannah Troutman, and Sarah Savoca then added kills to continue Portland's momentum. The Gaels (11-16, 6-10) tried to close the gap with an ace and kills from Alexis Salmons and Payton Rund to tie it up, but Katie Sullivan stopped their run with a kill of her own. Minutes later, the Pilots went on a five-point run off of three kills in a row from Pukis to bring them within the last few points of the set. Despite a comeback run from Saint Mary's, Brittney Markwith recorded the deciding kill to finish up the set 25-21.
 
The two teams battled through the initial points of the first set, until the Pilots went on a short run to make it 7-7. An ace from Monica Gajda and a kill from Troutman extended the Pilots lead by four moments later. Pukis then registered two kills and Troutman an ace and a kill to continue their momentum. SMC responded with kills from Rund and Lindsey Calvin, but Markwith ended the set with a powerful kill to win 25-20.
 
Saint Mary's began the third set with two runs to make it 8-3 in favor of the Gaels, before the Pilots then fought back to close the gap with kills from Troutman and Markwith. Troutman then recorded another kill and an ace to spark a point run and a comeback even at 24-24, but the Gaels held on to claim the set 26-24.
 
At 8-8 in the fourth set the Gaels proceded an early lead with kills from Rund and Calvin. The Pilots then bounced back with a short run from three consecutive kills by Markwith and one from Pukis to make it 19-16. Morgan Robinson continued to push the lead for the Pilots with an ace, prompting Markwith and Gajda to combine with another kill and another ace to end the set 25-17.
 
Markwith led the night with 16 kills to mark a career high, followed by Troutman with a double-double of 15 kills and 15 digs. Sullivan also had kills in the double digits with 14. Gajda and Scanlan registered 14 and 10 kills, respectively, and Cali Thompson had 45 assists.
 
The Pilots will next be in action Saturday afternoon 1 p.m. to take on Pacific in the Chiles Center.