CSU NORTHRIDGE MATADORS
(0-0, 0-0 BWC)
 
Day: Friday
Date: Aug. 30, 2019
Place: Ogden, Utah.
Time: 10:00 A.M. (PT)
Facility: Swenson Gym
Video: N/A
Stats: weberstatesports.com
 
POR vs. CSUN
Overall Series: 2-3
H: 1-0 •  A: 0-2  •  N: 1-1
Last: POR 3, CSUN 1 (9/15/2018)
 
WEBER STATE WILDCATS
(0-0, 0-0 BSC)
 
Day: Friday
Date: Aug. 30, 2019
Place: Ogden, Utah.
Time: 6:30 P.M. (PT)
Facility: Swenson Gym
Video: N/A
Stats: weberstatesports.com
 
POR vs. WSU
Overall Series: 0-2
H: 0-0 •  A: 0-1  •  N: 0-1
Last: @WSU 3, POR 1 (8/25/2012)
 
UNLV REBELS
(0-0, 0-0 MWC)
 
Day: Saturday
Date: Aug. 31, 2018
Place: Ogden, Utah.
Time: 10:00 A.M. (PT)
Facility: Swenson Gym
Video: N/A
Stats: weberstatesports.com
 
POR vs. UNLV
Overall Series: 1-2
H: 1-1 •  A: 0-1  •  N: 0-0
Last: UNLV 3, @POR 1 (12/06/2018)
 
 
THIS WEEK
• The Pilots will play their first three matches of the regular season in the 2019 Wildcat Invitational, where they will play CSU Northridge, Weber State and UNLV in Ogden, Utah.
• Portland will open their season this Friday with a double header beginning with CSUN at 10:00 a.m., finishing the night against Weber State at 6:30 p.m.
• They'll cap their weekend against UNLV at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. The Pilots will seek redemption after falling to the Rebels in the NIVC quarterfinals this past year.
• Live stats and video for this weekend's tournament can be found on the tournament host's website, live at weberstatesports.com. 
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS
• This will be Jeff Baxter's second season leading the Pilots, coming off Portland's first 20-win season and postseason appearance in program history.
• The Pilots return nine letterwinners from the 2018 season, including 2018 All-WCC Honorable Mention senior Katie Barker.
• The program welcomed three true freshman 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 expect to contribute immediately: 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 freshman class is made up of Grace Zilbert, Noelani Helm and Jayde Harris, with all three expecting to contribute in 2019. 
• The Pilots are coming off arguably the most successful season in their history, as second year head coach Jeff Baxter seeks to improve on the teams 20 victories, as well as their 12-match winning streak, both records for Portland's program.
• 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 Naats
• Pukis finished 12th all-time in kills with 1,030, one of only thirteen Pilots to ever obtain 1,000 kills over the course of their career on the Bluff.
• Naatz earned four All-WCC Academic Awards as a Pilot, and finished with 446 digs and 16 service aces.
• Portland was picked to finish sixth in the West Coast Conference Preseason Poll, jumping two spots from the previous 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, respectively.
• The Pilots return three of the top five leaders in kills from a year ago, led by senior Shayla Hoeft who totaled 321 kills as a junior.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
• CSU Northridge is seeking to rebound off a difficult 2018 season, where they went 8-20 on the year. They've been picked to finish seventh in the Big West in their conference's preseason poll, and will return four starters from the previous season.  
• Weber State, host's of the Wildcat Invitational, were 18-10 in 2018 and returns two all-conference players from last season in senior's Megan Gneiting and Hannah Hill-DeYoung. They've been picked to finish second in their conference.
• UNLV, fresh off reaching the semi-finals of the National Invitational Volleyball Challenge, finished 22-12 in 2018, the sixth time they've reached the 20-win mark. The Rebels were the last squad the Pilots played last year, as they fell to UNLV in the NIVC quarterfinals to end their season. The Rebels were predicted to finish third in conference, and have junior outside hitter and 2019 Mountain West Conference All-Preseason squad member Mariena Hayden returning.