LAS CRUCES, N.M.– The Portland Pilots finished their weekend with their fourth straight victory, capping their 3-0 record at the Springhill Suites Invitational with a 3-1 win over the Lamar Cardinals. The Pilots won with set scores of 23-25, 25-20, 25-14, and 25-11.

Three Pilots earned All-Tournament honors, including MVP Senior Shayla Hoeft, junior Kellie Hughes and freshman Grace Zilbert. 

The Pilots (7-2) as a team had more kills (51), assists (43), digs (63) and total blocks (10) than the Cardinals (5-4).

Hoeft led the match in kills with 15, and had two total blocks along with it. Senior Katie Barker had nine kills and eight total blocks, while Hughes had 38 assists and eight digs.
 
The Cardinals started the match with the lead, and held it throughout the first set. The Pilots did not go without a fight, going on a 11-2 run to tie the first at 22-22, but were unable to complete the rally and fell in the first at 23-25.  
 
The second set began the same as the first, with Lamar coming out the gates with the lead. Portland refused to lay down, retaking the lead at 14-13 thanks to a pair of blocks from Barker and junior Liz Reich (11 kills, four total blocks). The Cardinals kept it close throughout, but the Pilots held on to the lead and took the second set at 25-20.
 
Portland rode their momentum, coming out to a 4-0 run to start the third set, one of their three 4-0 runs in the third. Sophomore transfer Claire Forrest (10 kills, .444 hitting %) came up big time, recording five kills and a block assist, and led the Pilots to eventually take the third set at 25-14.
 
Once again, the Pilots came out with an extended run, this time going on a 7-0 run to start the fourth set. Portland held the lead from start to finish in the fourth, and went on to take the final set at 25-11.

The Pilots will return to action next weekend with a double-header against rivals Portland State, playing at PSU on Sept. 19^th, and then at The Bluff on Sept. 21^st.