PORTLAND, Ore. --- Portland junior Hannah Troutman recorded a double-double with 19 kills and 20 digs and Reghan Pukis added 17 kills, but the Gonzaga Bulldogs overcame the Pilots in a five-set thriller on the final night of the regular season at the Chiles Center on Monday. The Zags won the West Coast Conference match on Senior Night with set scores 17-25, 25-19, 22-25, 25-22, and 15-11.
 
Despite the loss, the Pilots still claimed the most successful season ever as an NCAA Division I program. The Pilots went 17-13 to record their first back-to-back winning seasons since the Pilots jumped from NAIA to NCAA DI in 1986. The 17 wins are also the most wins in a season for the program since 1986, and the 10 conference victories are the most in a season since joining the WCC for volleyball in 1987. Portland finishes 10-8 in the conference to collect their first winning record in in the WCC since 1989.
 
The Pilots jumped out to commanding 10-point lead to begin the first set against the Bulldogs, with the help of three Troutman kills. The Zags closed the gap to 15-9, but the Pilots continued to push the score with two kills each from Katie Sullivan and Pukis. Troutman finished up the set moments later with two powerful kills to end it 25-19 for the Pilots.
 
The Bulldogs then broke a 6-6 tie in the second set with a flurry of kills. Then with the Zags up by four, Sullivan connected on consecutive kills to help close the gap. Gonzaga then produced a short run to continue their momentum with an ace and a couple kills to make it 19-13. The visitors would then hold on to win the set 25-19, evening the match.
 
Pukis and Markwith kept the score even in the third set with kills, before the Zags responded to take the lead by two. The Pilots then went on a four-point run off of two kills from Pukis and a kill from Sullivan to reclaim the lead, but the Zags answered with another run. Gonzaga then appeared to have the win within reach with a 22-19 lead, but the home team refused to falter. Sarah Savoca sparked a late rally with a kill, which was helped along by a pair of kills from Troutman. Sullivan then capped the late 6-0 run as the Pilots took the set and a 2-1 lead overall.
 
Portland surged ahead to start the fourth set, creating a four-point lead. Sarah Bradley tried to slow Portland down with kills to spark a four-point run for the Bulldogs, which tied the score 12-12. The two teams battled evenly through the next several points before Gonzaga took a 20-17 lead. But again the Pilots rallied late, this time evening the score at 22-22 with the help of a two timely kills from Portland setter Cali Thompson. But this time the Zags held on by scoring the final three points, pushing the match to a fifth and deciding set.
 
The fifth set began with the Bulldogs leading 6-3, but as was the case all night long the Pilots rallied. Pukis pulled the Pilots within a point as her back-to-back kills made the score 10-9. From there the Zags (17-11, 10-8 WCC) regrouped to seal the match with a 5-2 run.
 
Sullivan chipped in with 11 kills for the Pilots while also providing six block assists and a solo block. Monica Gajda led the team with 33 digs, which was followed by Morgan Robinson with 19, Thompson with 13, and Emma Scanlan with 12. Thompson had 56 assists on the night. 
 
Portland celebrated senior night as the team honored Gajda, Markwith, Djurdjina Milovic and Sullivan with a pre-match ceremony.