STARKVILLE, Miss. --- The Portland Pilots claimed a thrilling 3-2 win over the Troy Trojans to open play at the Maroon Classic in the Newell-Grissom Building on Friday afternoon. The Pilots played five hard fought sets ending with the overall victory with set scores of 23-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-23, and 15-8.
 
The Pilots started the first set of the tournament with a back and forth battle with Troy. Katie Sullivan and Hannah Troutman combined in the first few points of the game with two kills to keep the lead 7-6. Sullivan and Morgan Robinson continued to keep the set close with two kills each to maintain the one point lead 13-12. Troy, trying to make a comeback, then tied up the game 15-15. The two teams continued to battle with Brittney Markwith and Troutman making two more kills to bring the score to 18-18. The Trojans then went on a three point run, before Robinson disrupted the momentum with another kill, tying up the game again. Troy finished up the set 25-23 to overcome the Pilots, with Troutman and Robinson leading the Pilots with six kills each.
 
Leading out the second set Troutman, Robinson, and Sullivan marked three kills followed by an ace from Lauren Naatz to make the score 5-3. Robinson then kept the momentum going with and kill and an ace, with Sullivan making another kill just after Robinson's consecutive points, bringing the score to 9-8. Troutman then fought the Pilots to try and make a comeback, but Markwith and Djurjina Milovic both responded with a kill and an ace to keep the score level. Robinson and Troutman then added two more kills to bring the Pilots up 19-19, and Markwith and Sullivan ended the set with two final kills to win 25-21.
 
With no intermission period, the two teams jumped into the third set. Sullivan and Troutman led out with kills to start the set 6-5. Several Troy errors then bumped the score to 10-6 in favor of Portland. Naatz and Troutman increased the score with two kills to make it 13-0. The Trojans then went on a four point run to tie up the score 16-16, and continued their run with two kills from Logan Page to give Troy the lead 18-16. Troutman and Thompson tried to respond with two kills of their own, but Troy ultimately took the set 25-22
 
Portland again started out on top with Troutman making a crucial kill to make the score 4-2 to begin the fourth set. Kills from Maddy Mandon, Markwith, Robinson and Sullivan, increased the score to 9-8, with countering kills from Logan and Lauren Long to try and even the Pilots. The Trojans then went on a seven  point run to take the lead, but Robinson responded with back to back kills along with another kill from Mandon to make the score 17-16 in favor of the Pilots. Troy tried to pull away again in the last few points, but Markwith stopped the momentum with a kill to make the set 21-21. Markwith then also claimed the final point with a kill to end the set 25-23.
 
The Pilots started the fifth and decisive set by coming out fast with a commanding 6-1 lead. Double kills from Troutman, followed by kills from Robinson and Thompson launched the Pilots even further ahead to make the set 14-7. Troutman ended the match with a kill from an assist by Cali Thompson to end the set 15-8 and make the total match score 3-2.
 
Troutman and Robinson both had double digit kills notching 17 and 16 kills respectively. Robinson doubled her career high kills of 8 which she set earlier this year..The Pilots just missed having three players with double figure kills with Markwith registering nine kills and Sullivan seven. Cali Thompson recorded 44 assists.
The Pilots will be back in action tomorrow at 10 a.m. pacific time to play FIU and then will take on tournament hosts Mississippi State at 5:00 p.m. pacific time.