MORAGA, Calif. ---The Portland Pilots volleyball team recorded their sixth straight win over the Saint Mary's Gaels in a West Coast Conference match on Thursday night in the McKeon Pavilion. Portland won three out of four sets with scores of 18-25, 25-21, 25-19, and 25-22.
 
Though the Pilots claimed the first point of the match, Saint Mary's jumped ahead to an early 6-2 lead with kills from four different Gaels. Junior Reghan Pukis then recorded a kill and sophomore Katie Barker a solo block, to bring Portland within one of SMC, but the Gaels doubled their lead in response to the short run. Pukis would produce two more kills within Saint Mary's points, as the Gaels came up with a few more short runs to come within set point. Pukis claimed her fifth kill to improve her hit percentage to .645 and hold SMC at 24, and senior Morgan Robinson an ace, but the Gaels sealed the set with a block to take the 1-0 lead on the match.
 
Senior Hannah Troutman opened the second set with two kills and freshman McKenzie Schwan an ace, to take the initial lead for the Pilots at 4-2. The Gaels leveled the score moments later with another block, and the set would remain even for the next several points. Robinson and Reich sparked a six-point run with an ace and a kill to surge ahead 16-11, which improved to an 11-1 run after a Saint Mary's timeout.  The Gaels attempted to close the gap between the Pilots in the final moments of the set with a six-point run of their own, but Barker ended the streak with a kill, and Troutman an ace and kill, to end the set 25-21 and even the match 1-1.
 
Both teams battled evenly to start the third set before Troutman and Reich pulled the Pilots ahead of the Gaels by three with kills. Saint Mary's then produced a 7-1 run to regain the lead at 11-7, before Pukis, Robinson, and Reich and Troutman combined for a kill, ace, and block, respectively.  Portland gained momentum to register a lengthy run and jump ahead by four, but the Gaels fought to hold back the Pilots with three points of their own. At the final three points Pukis combined a kill with Thompson's final ace and kill to win the third set 25-19.
 
The teams exchanged points back and forth for the majority of the last set, until Portland broke away with three with kills from Pukis and Reich to make it 17-14 for the Pilots. Saint Mary's responded with a short run to level the score 17-17, but Pukis and Troutman notched kills and Robinson her fifth ace of the night to propel the Pilots into the final points. Portland secured the match moments later with a final run, and Troutman claiming the last kill to win the fourth set 25-22.
 
Troutman led the Pilots with 14 kills, followed by Pukis with 12, and Reich with 11. Freshman Carey Williams and Robinson had 15 and 13 digs, respectively, while sophomore Cali Thompson registered 41 assists.
 
The Pilots will next be in action in Stockton, Calif., on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m., to take on the Pacific Tigers.