SAN DIEGO, Calif. --- The Portland Pilots fought for three sets against No. 20 San Diego on the Torero's home court. The Pilots fell with set scores of 11-25, 18-25 and 11-25.

The Pilots (11-17, 3-14 WCC) had three players' record five-plus kills, with senior Shayla Hoeft leading the way offensively with six. Junior Kellie Hughes led the team in assists with 15, while junior libero Carey Williams recorded 11 digs and a service ace.

The match began with a Torero (23-5, WCC 15-1) attacking error, giving the Pilots the lead at 1-0. Portland kept it close initially, until a 7-1 USD run forced an early Portland timeout at 12-5 San Diego. Senior Katie Barker came out of the timeout with a kill, seeking to start a rally at the midway point. The Torero's stayed in front however, ending the first set on an 8-1 run to take the first set at 25-11.

Portland opened the second set on a 4-2 run, featuring kills from sophomore transfer Claire Forrest & Freshman Jayde Harris. The Pilots kept the lead as far as 12-9, thanks to a ball handling error across the net. A 9-0 USD run put San Diego back in front, but Portland answered late with a 4-1 run to cut their deficit to 23-18. The Torero's held on however, taking the second set at 25-18.

The Torero's rode their momentum into the third set, going on a 10-3 run to force a Pilot timeout. Despite Portland battling in each point, San Diego closed out the match, taking the third set at 25-11.

Portland concludes their 2019 regular season in Spokane, Washington on Nov. 25^th against the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Pilots play at 6:00 PM on Monday.