SAINT MARYS GAELS
(8-14, 4-8 WCC)
 
Day: Thursday
Date: Nov. 7, 2019
Place: Moraga, Calif. 
Time: 7:00 P.M.
Facility: Chiles Center
Video: portlandpilots.com
Stats: portlandpilots.com
 
POR vs. SMC
Overall Series: 26-43
H: 15-19 • A: 11-23 • N: 0-0
Last: SMC 3, @POR 1 (10.12.19)
 
PACIFIC TIGERS
(12-12, 4-8 WCC)
 
Day: Saturday
Date: Nov. 9, 2019
Place: Stockton, Calif. 
Time: 12:00 P.M.
Facility: Chiles Center
Video: portlandpilots.com
Stats: portlandpilots.com
 
POR vs. PAC
Overall Series: 3-12
H: 2-5 • A: 1-6 • N: 0-1
Last: @POR 3, PAC 2 (10.10.19)
 
THIS WEEK
• The Pilots return to the road after two weeks hosting matches on The Bluff, traveling to California to play Saint Marys & Pacific.
• Portland will play the Gaels at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7th, and finish their weekend against Pacific at noon on Saturday, Nov. 9th.
• Stats and Video for both matches can be found at portlandpilots.com
 
LAST WEEK
 • The Pilots hosted a pair of matches against Loyola Marymount & Pepperdine.
 • Portland fell to the Lions in a hard fought four sets on Halloween night, and were unable to rally in a three-set loss to the Waves.
• Junior Liz Reich is a mere two kills away from reaching 300 in a single season for the first time in her career, adding 26 kills over the weekend. Junior Kellie Hughes continued to build on her breakout season, notching 72 assists & 17 digs, including grabbing her fifth double-double against the Waves (28 assists, 13 digs).
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS
• This is Jeff Baxter's second season as head coach of the Pilots, coming off Portland's first 20-win season and postseason appearance in program history.
• Portland's ability to serve up aces has made a tremendous impact: their aces per set (1.81) ranks 10th in the country, while their total service aces (152) puts them 28th in the NCAA. Both statistics rank first in the WCC.
• Freshman Grace Zilbert has a been the catalyst of the Pilots serving ability, ranking 5th in the WCC in aces (33). Nineteen matches into her collegiate career, she already has two five-ace matches. 
• Junior Kellie Hughes has made significant strides this season, ranking 62nd in the country in assists (856). Within the West Coast Conference, Hughes ranks 1st in assists & aces per set (10.19).
• In the WCC, the Pilots are 1st in team service aces , aces per set and are 2nd in digs per set (14.99). Individually, junior Carey Williams has led the way defensively, ranking 1st in the conference in digs per set (4.63) and 2nd in total digs (389).
• Three Pilots earned All-Tournament honors at the Springhill Suites Invitational, including MVP Senior Shayla Hoeft (40 kills, four blocks), Hughes (93 assists) and freshman Grace Zilbert (seven aces, 13 digs).
• For their efforts in the Portland North Marriott Invite, Hoeft and Williams were nominated to the All-Tournament Team. Hoeft had 43 kills, while Williams had 59 digs and 12 assists.
• The Pilots returned nine letterwinners from the 2018 season, including 2018 All-WCC Honorable Mention senior Katie Barker.
• The program welcomed three true freshmen to The Bluff this summer, as well two transfers from the University of Boise State and Seton Hall University, respectively.
• Sophomore transfers Jessie Brigham & Claire Forrest bring experience to the squad: Brigham led the BSU Broncos in digs in 2018 with 356, while Forrest notched two matches with 10 kills as a Pirate, including a career-high 11 kills against VCU.
• Portland's freshmen class is made up of Zilbert, Noelani Helm and Jayde Harris, all three contributing in 2019. 
• To replace former assistant coaches Betsy Sedlak and Rick Moller departures from the program, Baxter brought in former University of Nevada assistant coach Megan Burton and former University of Washington player Justice Magraw.
 • The Pilots saw two seniors graduate last spring in Reghan Pukis and Lauren Naatz.
• Portland was picked to finish sixth in the West Coast Conference Preseason Poll, jumping two spots from the 2018 poll.
• Senior middle blocker Katie Barker seeks to improve on her coming out party as a junior: she was nominated to the 2018 All-WCC Honorable Mention squad and had 128 block assists, 143 total blocks and a .334 hitting percentage, which were 1st, 2nd and 5th most in single season history for the Pilots, respectively.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
• Saint Mary's (8-14, WCC 4-8) is coming off a rough weekend against the cream of the crop of the WCC, losing matches against BYU & San Diego.
• The Gaels are led by senior setter Alexsa "Crash" Parker, who leads her squad and assists (523) & service aces (39, good for 20th in the country).
• Pacific (12-12, WCC 4-8) had to face the same opposition as SMC in Week 10, falling to both the Cougars and Toreros.
• The Tigers rank first in the WCC in team digs (1,425), kills (1,254) and aces (152). On offense they're led by sophomore Riley Patterson, who's 332 kills leads the conference, and puts her 68th in the NCAA.