DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The Portland Pilots needed just four sets (25-22, 23-25, 25-14, 25-14, 25-14) to dispatch the Manhattan Lady Jaspers Saturday at Richard V Moore Gymnasium. The non-conference victory improved the Pilots' overall record to 3-0 on the season, marking the second time in three years they've started the year 3-0.
The Pilots offense was paced by Maui Robins, who finished with 19 kills on the day while accumulating a hitting percentage of .385, and by Leonie Freytag, who had 10 kills. Portland got eight digs from Tinoa Woodward-Hart along with six blocks from Taina Kaauwai to lead them defensively.
Game Notes
» Taina Kaauwai had a match-high four aces in the win, a career high.
» Portland served up five aces on the way to a third-set victory. The Pilots had 13 service aces in total.
» Portland never trailed on the way to winning the fourth set 25-14.
» Maui Robins had a match-high 19 kills for Portland with a .385 hitting percentage.
» Portland got a team-high eight digs from Tinoa Woodward-Hart.
» Portland attackers were helped by a match-high 45 assists from Havannah Hoeft.
» This is the second time in three years the Pilots have started 3-0 on the season.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Pilots took the first set 25-22 thanks to a strong showing on the attacking side. Portland registered a .412 attack percentage with 18 kills in the set victory. After the lead changed hands seven times, the Pilots took control for good at 16-15 and rode that advantage to victory. Portland also supplemented their offense with three aces in the opening set.
SET 2 | Portland lost set two 25-23 to tie the match 1-1. Manhattan grabbed the lead at 12-11 in a set that was tied up seven times before the Lady Jaspers took over the lead. Manhattan never looked back for the win in the second set.
SET 3 | Portland put the second-set loss behind them and grabbed a 2-1 match lead with a victory in the third set. The Pilots took control of the set early when the score was 3-2 and never trailed to win 25-14. Portland ended on a strong note, opening up its biggest lead of the stanza, 11 points, to close out the set. The Portland offense also got a boost with five aces in the set. Portland's front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking five Manhattan attacks and capitalizing on 10 Manhattan attacking errors on the way to victory.
SET 4 | Portland kept the momentum going, claiming the match win with a 25-14 fourth-set victory. The Pilots scored first and never trailed in the set to earn the victory. Portland collected 15 kills in the set. Portland also supplemented their offense with three aces in the set. Portland got a solid defensive performance from a front row that blocked five Manhattan attacks.
Up Next
The Pilots will head to Southern California for the UCI/adidad Invitational in Irvine, Calif. They'll take on the Idaho State Bengals, the Bradley Braves and the UC Irvine Anteaters in a three-day stretch, starting with the Bengals on Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.
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