SPOKANE, Wash---The Gonzaga Bulldogs overcame the Portland Pilots 3-0 in a West Coast Conference volleyball match held at McCarthy Athletic Center on Saturday afternoon. The Zags collected the win with set scores of 25-17, 25-19, and 25-14.
 
Charity Bradley tied for a match-high 11 kills in the game, connecting on 22 attempts to finish with a .409 attack rate on the day. Jayde Harris added 10 scores of her own, while Grace Zilbert and Alyssa Muraoka each contributed seven digs apiece for the Pilots defense. Noelani Helm produced a solid performance with seven kills, 16 assists, two aces and six digs for the visiting side.
 
Back-to-back scores from Bradley and Harris got the Pilots (5-19, 2-13 WCC) out to a 2-0 lead to open the match, but Gonzaga (9-19, 5-12 WCC) would find their way back in it to swing a three-point edge soon after. Harris connected again to bring Portland within two, but the home side managed to stretch their lead to five shortly following. Harris answered with an attack and an ace to set the score at 8-6 for GU, and the Bulldogs maintained the slight edge until a block from Zilbert and Emma Swett and another ace served up from Helm made it a one-point game. That's when the Zags produced a 5-1 run to hand them a sizeable edge at the media timeout, which they would hold on to to carry them through the end of the set.
 
A Bradley-Jiana Lawson block got the Pilots on the board again first to open set two, but four unanswered Gonzaga scores soon pushed the Bulldogs in front by three. Harris connected on a dish from Helm to keep the Pilots within range, although the Zags found some momentum to push their advantage in the next rallies. Portland looked to spark a run of their own after three scores from Lawson, Harris, and Bradley brought the set to 21-15 for GU, and Harris added another kill before the Bulldogs would seal the set for the 2-0 margin overall.
 
A 5-0 Gonzaga start pushed the home side out in front to begin the third frame, but attacks from Helm and Bradley kept the Pilots close, and only down by three at 6-3. Portland closed the gap to just two in the very next play, but a couple of short runs soon after would allow the Bulldogs to create a cushion which would eventually be enough to close out the match.
 
The Pilots have just one game remaining in the 2021 season, hitting the road next week for a contest in Los Angeles with the Loyola Marymount Lions. That match is set for Tuesday, November 23rd at 7 p.m.