SANTA CLARA, Calif. --The Portland Pilots fired back after losing set one to secure a 3-1 victory (22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-21) over the Santa Clara Broncos Saturday on the road at Leavey Center. The conference victory improved Portland's record to 12-11 overall and 5-8 in WCC play.
The Pilots offense was paced by Taina Kaauwai, who finished with a career-high 16 kills on the day while accumulating a hitting percentage of .565. Kaauwai led the match with 20.5 points. Elin Larsson added 14 kills and Maui Robins chipped in with 12 as part of balanced Portland attack. Portland got 8 digs from Robins along with six blocks from Nevaeh Bray lead them defensively.
Game Notes
» Portland had three players in double figures in kills: Taina Kaauwai (16), Elin Larsson (14) and Maui Robins (12) .
» Taina Kaauwai had a match-high three aces,16 kills and 20.5 points in the win.
» Portland got a team-high eight digs from Maui Robins.
» Nevaeh Bray led Portland's front row with a match-high six blocks.
» Portland attackers were helped by a match-high 46 assists from Havannah Hoeft.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Pilots came up short in a back-and-forth first set, losing 25-22 in a game that featured three lead changes and was tied 14 times. Neither team led by more than four points in the match.
SET 2 | Portland evened the match at 1-1 with a 25-22 second-set win. The Pilots earned the set victory by a solid performance on the attacking side. Portland put together a .429 attack percentage with 13 kills in the set win. The Pilots opened up a 19-13 lead in the set and head to victory from there.
SET 3 | Portland won again in the third set to go up two sets to one. The Pilots took control of the set early when the score was 4-3 and never looked back to win 25-21. Portland led by six points at 9-3 before closing out the set. Portland's front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking four Santa Clara attacks.
SET 4 | Portland earned a match win with a 25-21 fourth-set victory, winning their third straight set. A strong performance on the attacking end led the Pilots to victory in the set. Portland put together a .323 attack percentage with 13 kills in the set win. After the lead changed hands four times, the Pilots took control for good at 18-17 and rode that advantage to victory. Portland also supplemented their offense with three aces in the set. Portland got a solid defensive performance from a front row that blocked five Santa Clara attacks.
The Pilots will return home to host San Diego on Thursday, Nov. 14, followed by their Senior Day against Washington State on Saturday, Nov. 16. For more coverage, visit PortlandPilots.com.
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