Portland Pilots (3-6, 0-0 WCC)
vs. Gonzaga and at No. 23 Pepperdine
 
Gonzaga Bulldogs (4-7, 0-0 WCC)
Day: Saturday
Date: Sept. 25, 2021
Place: Portland, Ore.
Time: 12:00 p.m.
Facility: Chiles Center
Stats: portlandpilots.com
Video: portlandpilots.com
 
POR vs. GU
Overall Series: 25-51
H: 13-23 •  A: 8-26  •  N: 1-2
Last: GU 3, @POR 1 (3.28.21)
 
No. 23 Pepperdine Waves
Day: Tuesday
Date: Sept. 28, 2021
Place: Malibu, Calif.
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Facility: Firestone Fieldhouse
Stats: portlandpilots.com
Video: portlandpilots.com
 
POR vs. PEP
Overall Series: 6-62
H: 4-31 • A: 2-31 • N: 0-0
Last: PEP 3, @POR 0 (3.13.21)
 
THIS WEEK
• The Pilots are set for two matches to begin the West Coast Conference season, including the team's first contest at the Chiles Center this year.
• Portland will compete in their home-opener on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 12:00 p.m. when they host the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
• The Pilots later head south for a matchup in Malibu against the 23rd-ranked Pepperdine Waves on Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 7:00 p.m.
• Live stats and live video for both matches will be available at PortlandPilots.com.
 
LAST WEEK
• The Pilots had a bye week after cancelling two scheduled matches in Seattle, concluding their non-conference schedule with a 3-6 record.
• Portland most recently played at the PDX Classic, and setter Noelani Helm was named to the All-Tournament team following the team's competitions against Portland State, UTEP, and Grand Canyon.
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS
• Megan Burton enters her second year as the head coach of the Pilots volleyball program, with assistant coaches Aven Lee and Dylan Hamilton also returning for the 2021 season.
• The Pilots also bring back seven letter winners from the spring 2021 West Coast Conference season.
• The program welcomes four true freshmen to The Bluff this fall in Alyssa Muraoka, Gabby Quach, Emma Swett, and Keilani Mumolo.
• Portland has also added two graduate students to their roster, including outside hitter Charity Bradley out of Washington State and setter Paloma Bowman from UC Davis.
• The Pilots saw three significant contributors graduate at the end of last year in setter Kellie Hughes, All-WCC outside hitter Liz Reich, and second-place all-time career digs leader Carey Williams.
• Portland will look to outside hitters Jayde Harris and Jiana Lawson to provide the attack this season, and Harris has been the team's most productive scorer so far, leading the team with 95 kills while averaging 3.06 per set.
• As a team, the Pilots are third in the WCC in service aces per set, averaging 1.94.
• Through nine matches so far the team has produced averages of 10.35 assists per set and 12.87 digs per set.
• Noelani Helm leads the Pilots in assists with 158, and is second on the team in kills with 48.
• Grace Zilbert is Portland's team leader in digs, with 94 to her credit.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
• Gonzaga went 1-1 in a pair of away matches this past weekend, sweeping North Dakota State before falling 3-1 to Portland State.
• GU has not yet won a match on the road this fall.
• As a team, the Bulldogs sit just above the Pilots at second place in the WCC in service aces per set, averaging 2.10.
• McKenna Marshall leads Gonzaga in kills with 132, and Alisa Kim has a team-high 94 digs.
• Brynn Chandler has collected 257 assists already, and generates just over nine per set.
• The 23rd-ranked Waves competed in just one match last week, sweeping the VCU Rams at home in their final non-conference contest.
• Pepperdine's lone loss on the year was against seventh-ranked Washington back on Sept. 10, which the Huskies took 3-1.
• Waves' All-WCC preseason selection Rachel Ahrens leads the conference and ranks second-place in the NCAA in service aces per set at 0.78. She is the WCC leader in kills per set at  4.61, good for 24th in the NCAA.
• Pepperdine's setter Isabel Zelaya leads the WCC in assists per set at 11.17, and is 22nd in the NCAA, collecting 402 already this season.