Portland Pilots (0-0, 0-0 WCC)
at (RV) Washington
 
Washington Huskies (0-0, 0-0 PAC-12)
Day: Saturday
Date: Feb. 26, 2022
Time: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Place: Tacoma, Wash.
Facility: DaKine Sports Center
Last: POR 0, @UW 5 (4.16.21)
 
THIS WEEK
• The Pilots open the beach season in Tacoma, set for duals matches against the receiving-votes Washington Huskies.
• The two teams will face off at DaKine Sports Center on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 11 a.m and again at 1 p.m.
• Spectators will be permitted to attend the event upon providing proof of vaccination for COVID-19. Masks are required.
• Live stats and live video will not be available.
 
ABOUT THE PILOTS
• Megan Burton steps into her first year as the head coach of the Pilots beach volleyball program, with Dylan Hamilton also returning for the 2022 season.
• The Pilots return six from last year's roster in Bugarin, Harris, Helm, Lee, Nolan, and Zilbert, with Sarah Strong also coming back to compete in her final season with the team.
• The beach volleyball program welcomes a class of three to the squad this spring in freshmen Taylor Helle, Mileina Sniffen and Annika Stammberger.
• Portland added two transfers to the program at the most recent semester break: freshman Lia Hawken out of Dayton, and graduate student Talyn Jackson from Virginia Tech.
• Also joining the beach team from the Pilots' 2021 indoor squad are freshmen Keilani Mumolo and Emma Swett, and graduate Charity Bradley.
• The Pilots graduated three WCC All-Academic honorees at the end of last season, including the team's most dominant duo of Shayla Hoeft and Alycia Wodke, and Kellie Hughes.
 
LAST SEASON
• Portland finished the year 1-9 in duals competition, defeating the Corban Warriors 3-2 in Salem on April 13th, 2021. The Pilots' pairs of Hoeft/Wodke, Harris/Helm, and Hughes/Nolan each collected wins on the day.
• The team of Harris/Zilbert registered a sweep against WCC foe San Francisco with set scores of 21-16 and 21-18 back on April 30th, 2021.
• The Pilots faced tough Pac-12 opponents in Oregon and Washington, and saw matchups with 15th-ranked Hawai'i and 13th-ranked Pepperdine before the end of the year.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
• The Pilots have three meetings with the Corban Warriors on the schedule for 2022, set to take place in Salem on March 3rd, March 11-12th, and March 30th.
• Portland will take on the Oregon Ducks twice during the year in Eugene, first on March 8th, and again near the end of the season on April 21st.
• The team heads back up to Seattle for a second meeting with (RV) Washington on April 16-17th.
• West Coast Conference play kicks off on March 25-26th in Santa Cruz, Calif. at the WCC Invitational, with the conference championship tournament locked in for April 29-30th in Santa Monica.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
• Washington finished 2021 with a 5-13 overall record, going 0-7 in Pac-12 regular season play.
• UW took seventh at last year's conference championship tournament, recording a 3-0 victory over Utah before being ousted by a 2-3 margin against Arizona State.
• The Huskies enter this season under first-year head coach Derek Olson, who is the fourth to take the helm of the program.