PORTLAND PILOTS (12-14, 7-8 WCC)
WEEK 13: Washington State Cougars, Gonzaga Bulldogs

Washington State Cougars
(16-8, 10-4 WCC)
Day: Thursday
Date: Nov. 20, 2025
Time: 7 P.M. (PST)
Place: Pullman, Wash.
Facility: Bohler Gym
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: PortlandPilots.com

POR vs. WSU
Overall Series: 0-5
Last: L 0-3 (Nov. 16, 2024) 

Gonzaga Bulldogs
(13-12, 6-8 WCC)
Day: Saturday
Date: Nov. 22, 2025
Time: 12 P.M. (PST)
Place: Spokane, Wash.
Facility: Charlotte Y. Martin Centre
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: PortlandPilots.com

POR vs. GON
Overall Series: 18-27
Last: L 2-3 (Nov. 8, 2025)

THIS WEEK
• Portland opens the week on Thursday, Nov. 20, at Washington State at 7 p.m. (PST) in Pullman. The Cougars enter the matchup 16-8 overall and 10-4 in WCC play.
• The Pilots then face Gonzaga on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 12 p.m. (PST) in Spokane. The Bulldogs come in at 13-12 overall and 6-8 in conference action.
• Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats available at PortlandPilots.com.

LAST WEEK
• Portland opened the week with a 3-0 sweep at Seattle U (25-18, 25-23, 25-17), hitting efficiently behind Maui Robins' 13 kills on .500, two aces, and a match-high 29 assists from Havannah Hoeft. The Pilots controlled the front row with an 11–4 blocking edge, while Jeryn Hildenbrand paced the defense with nine digs.
• The Pilots then pushed undefeated San Diego to five sets on Senior Day before falling 3-2. Elin Larsson (15 kills), Lucia Busso (11 kills), and Taina Kaauwai (10 kills on .500) led a balanced offense, while Maui Robins anchored the back row with 16 digs. Busso and Nevaeh Bray each contributed five blocks, and Havannah Hoeft added 44 assists to guide the attack.

THIS SEASON
• Portland opened the season undefeated at the Vandal Volleyball Invitational, sweeping CSU Fullerton, Oral Roberts, and Idaho in straight sets. Elin Larsson led the Pilots with match-high kills in every game and was named MVP of the Vandal Volleyball Invitational. She ranks third in the WCC in kills per set and fifth in total kills. Lucia Busso earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team after finishing with 25 kills over three matches, second most on the team.
Setter Havannah Hoeft paced the Pilots with 92 assists across three matches, averaging a league-best 10.22 per set. She also directed Portland's attack to a .309 hitting percentage, the top mark in the WCC. Hoeft surpassed 1,000 career assists in just the third match of her sophomore year.
• Team captain Maui Robins anchored both sides of the court, recording a double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs in the win over CSU Fullerton.
• The Portland Pilots opened the week on the road at Oregon, falling in three close sets (21-25, 20-25, 23-25) to the Ducks. Maui Robins registered her second double-double of the season with 10 kills and 11 digs, while Lucia Busso chipped in 10 kills. Setter Havannah Hoeft dished out a match-high 30 assists to pace the attack. On defense, libero Tinoa Woodward-Hart notched a match-high 11 digs, and Nevaeh Bray added four blocks at the net.
• Portland bounced back in their home opener at the Portland Invitational, sweeping Eastern Washington in straight sets (25-15, 25-21, 25-23) for their fourth sweep of the season. Elin Larsson led the offense with a match-high 13 kills on a .522 hitting percentage, while Hoeft served a career-high five aces and posted her first double-double of the year with a match-high 32 assists and 10 digs. Woodward-Hart tallied a team-high 14 digs, one of three Pilots in double figures. The Pilots delivered a match-high 12 aces as a team and rallied from down seven points to steal the third set.
• The Pilots capped off the Invitational with a five-set thriller over CSUN (25-18, 22-25, 20-25, 25-20, 20-18), improving to 5-1 on the season. Captain Maui Robins powered the offense with a career-high 23 kills and a match-high 25.5 points, while Busso and Larsson each finished with 14 kills. Hoeft directed the attack with a match-high 40 assists, and Taina Kaauwai added a match-high three aces. Woodward-Hart anchored the back row with a career-high 28 digs as Portland finished with 18 team blocks and 10 total aces.
• Robins was named Portland Invitational Tournament Co-MVP while Hoeft was named to the All-Tournament Team.
• On Sept. 8, Libero Tinoa Woodward-Hart was named West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Week after leading Portland's back row in all three matches. She posted a match-high 11 digs at Oregon, followed with a team-high 14 digs against Eastern Washington, and capped the week with a career-high 28 digs in the five-set victory over CSUN.
• The Portland Pilots came up just short in a five-set battle, falling 3-2 (24-26, 25-21, 10-25, 27-25, 11-15) to Hawai'i on Thursday night at Bankoh Arena inside the Stan Sheriff Center. Maui Robins paced the Pilots with her third double-double of the year, finishing with 16 kills and 10 digs. Elin Larsson added 12 kills, while Lucia Busso chipped in 10 kills and five blocks. Setter Havannah Hoeft dished out a team-high 36 assists, and freshman Jeryn Hildenbrand tallied a career-high 13 digs to go with a match-high two aces.
• In the second matchup of the series, Portland struck first but fell 3-1 (25-21, 15-25, 23-25, 17-25) to the Rainbow Wahine on Friday. Larsson led the offense with a season-high 17 kills, while Busso posted a season-best 16 kills on a .344 hitting clip. Hoeft recorded her second double-double of the season with 39 assists and a season-high 12 digs. Tinoa Woodward-Hart anchored the defense with a team-high 15 digs, and Nevaeh Bray added five blocks at the net.
• Portland opened the UniWyo Invite with a four-set battle against Idaho State, falling 3-1 (23-25, 16-25, 26-24, 21-25) on Thursday. Elin Larsson paced the attack with a match-high 16 kills on a .364 clip, while Taina Kaauwai added 11 kills at a .296 mark. Four Pilots reached double-digit digs, led by Tinoa Woodward-Hart and Jeryn Hildenbrand with 13 apiece. Setter Havannah Hoeft notched her third double-double of the year with 33 assists and 11 digs.
• On Sept. 18 against the Idaho State Bengals, Maui Robins officially eclipsed 1,000 career kills.
• On Friday, the Pilots were swept by Long Beach State (19-25, 10-25, 17-25). Larsson and Maui Robins each recorded eight kills, while Robins also led the defense with seven digs. Hoeft handed out 13 assists and Woodward-Hart chipped in an ace.
• Portland closed the weekend against host Wyoming on Saturday, dropping a 3-0 decision (18-25, 21-25, 20-25). Robins led the offense with a match-high 13 kills on .375 hitting, followed by Larsson (12) and Lucia Busso (11). Woodward-Hart collected 12 digs to anchor the defense, and Hoeft tallied 24 assists.
• Portland opened West Coast Conference play with a sweep of Pacific (25-20, 25-22, 27-25) on Thursday night at the Chiles Center, improving to 6-6 overall and 1-0 in league play. It marked the Pilots' first win over the Tigers since 2022 and first sweep of the series since 2018. Maui Robins posted her fourth double-double of the season with 10 kills and 11 digs, while Elin Larsson led all players with 14 kills. Tinoa Woodward-Hart collected 16 digs, and setter Havannah Hoeft dished out match-high 19 assists as Portland finished with six service aces in the decisive third set. Jeryn Hildenbrand sealed the match with an ace, her second match-point ace of the year.
• The Pilots followed with a five-set victory over Saint Mary's on Saturday (25-22, 25-14, 22-25, 20-25, 15-10) to move to 7-6 overall and 2-0 in WCC action. The win gave Portland its first 2-0 start in conference play since 1991. Larsson fueled the offense with a season-high 19 kills on .313 hitting, leaving her just five shy of 800 career kills. Robins added 14 kills, Lucia Busso chipped in 12, and both Busso and Taina Kaauwai registered season-high seven blocks. Hoeft tallied her fourth double-double of the season with season-high 45 assists and 11 digs, surpassing 1,300 career assists, while Woodward-Hart added 10 digs. The Pilots never trailed in the second or fifth sets to secure the win.
• On Sept. 29, Hoeft was named West Coast Conference Setter of the Week for her performance, marking Portland's second weekly conference award this season and the second of her career.
• The Portland Pilots cruised to a straight-set victory (25-19, 25-17, 25-17) over Seattle U on Saturday at the Chiles Center. With the win, the Pilots improved to 8-6 overall and opened West Coast Conference play 3-0 for the first time in program history.
• Maui Robins powered the offense with a match-high 11 kills and three service aces, while Taina Kaauwai added nine kills on an impressive .583 hitting percentage. Lucia Busso contributed eight kills on .400 hitting to round out Portland's balanced attack.
• Setter Havannah Hoeft directed the offense with a match-high 34 assists and added four kills on well-timed dumps, guiding the Pilots to a stellar .380 team hitting percentage compared to Seattle U's .234.
• The Pilots opened their homestand with a dominant 3-0 sweep over San Francisco, hitting a season-best .411 — their highest attack percentage in a match since 2018. Maui Robins paced the offense with a double-double of 15 kills and 12 digs, while Lucia Busso added 12 kills on an impressive .733 hitting percentage. Havannah Hoeft tallied 36 assists and four aces in the win, helping Portland improve to 4-2 in WCC play. This is the first time the Pilots have posted four wins in six conference games to start WCC play since 2017.
• Portland closed the weekend with a setback against Pepperdine, falling 3-0 at the Chiles Center. Robins led the attack with nine kills, while freshman Vanessa Haddock chipped in a career-high seven. Tinoa Woodward-Hart anchored the defense with a match-high 16 digs as the Pilots moved to 9-9 overall and 4-3 in conference action.
• The Pilots totaled 12 blocks in a 3-0 sweep (25-22, 25-16, 27-25) over Pacific, completing their first-ever season sweep of the Tigers. Maui Robins led the offense with six kills, Havannah Hoeft tallied 21 assists and a match-high three aces, and Tinoa Woodward-Hart anchored the defense with 11 digs.
 • Portland dropped a 3-2 battle (25-18, 15-25, 25-22, 20-25, 12-15) at Saint Mary's. Lucia Busso and Elin Larsson each notched 16 kills, with Busso hitting .464 and Maui Robins adding 13 kills. Havannah Hoeft recorded 45 assists, while Tinoa Woodward-Hart and Jeryn Hildenbrand led the defense with 15 and 12 digs, respectively.
• Portland dropped a 3-0 decision (15-25, 21-25, 16-25) to the Beavers at the Chiles Center. Lucia Busso paced the offense with 10 kills on a .364 clip, while Tinoa Woodward-Hart tallied seven digs and an ace. Setter Havannah Hoeft recorded a team-high 21 assists in the loss.
• The Pilots battled to five sets before falling 3-2 (15-25, 20-25, 25-20, 27-25, 13-15) to the Broncos on the road. Maui Robins led with a double-double of 15 kills and 12 digs, joined by Elin Larsson (14 kills) and Lucia Busso (11 kills) in double figures. Jeryn Hildenbrand matched her career high with 13 digs, while Havannah Hoeft tallied 42 assists and 10 digs for her sixth double-double of the season.
• The Pilots dominated in straight set sweep over LMU (25-13, 25-21, 25-22) on Thursday at the Chiles Center, marking their first win against the Lions since 2010. The victory lifted Portland to 11-12 overall and 6-6 in WCC play. Lucia Busso powered the offense with 14 kills on a .500 hitting percentage and added two aces, while setter Havannah Hoeft posted her seventh double-double of the season with 31 assists and 11 digs. Libero Tinoa Woodward-Hart anchored the back row with a match-high 15 digs, and middle blocker Taina Kaauwai controlled the net with seven blocks, surpassing 250 career blocks in the process.
• Portland had four players reach double figures in kills but fell in five sets (27-25, 23-25, 25-23, 19-25, 7-15) to Gonzaga on Saturday at the Chiles Center. Elin Larsson led the offense with 16 kills on .308 hitting, while Lucia Busso added 15 and Taina Kaauwai hit .588 with 10 kills and a career-high five aces. Maui Robins posted her seventh double-double of the season with 12 kills and 11 digs, as setter Havannah Hoeft recorded a season-high 49 assists and libero Tinoa Woodward-Hart anchored the defense with 24 digs.
• Senior Lucia Busso was named WCC Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 10, earning her first career weekly honor and Portland's third conference award this season. Busso totaled 29 kills and 34 points while hitting .373 across two matches. She has now surpassed 600 career kills and 150 career blocks, marking her best season yet with 238 kills so far.

ABOUT THE PILOTS
• Megan Burton enters her sixth season as head coach of the Pilots volleyball program. Dylan Hamilton has been promoted to associate head coach, while assistant coach Kyle Homeyer returns for the 2025 season. The Pilots also welcome Kanza Tanuvasa as an assistant coach.
• The program welcomes back 12 letter winners from the 2024 campaign.
• The Pilots add six true freshmen to the roster this fall — Meki Maile, Jeryn Hildenbrand, Lila Krall, Vanessa Haddock, Callie Pieper, and Georgia Haynes — along with graduate student Jules Tan.
• Portland will look to captain Maui Robins to continue guiding the team to new heights in 2025. Robins was named All-WCC Honorable Mention in 2024 and secured a spot on the 2025 All-WCC Preseason Team. Last season, she led the Pilots in kills (305) and service aces (32), while ranking second in digs (266), third in blocks (56.0), and fourth in assists (34). She also finished ninth in the WCC in total points (369). A highlight of her 2024 campaign came on October 31, when she surpassed 1,000 career points—becoming just the 22nd player in program history to achieve the milestone, and doing so in only three seasons.
• Returning standouts Taina Kaauwai and Havannah Hoeft will continue to play pivotal roles in the Pilots' lineup.
• Middle blocker Taina Kaauwai, named to the 2025 WCC Preseason Team, started all 28 matches last season and made history as the first Pilot to earn AVCA All-Region honors (Northwest Honorable Mention). She led the WCC in hitting percentage (.382), ranked 34th nationally, and totaled 114 blocks. Kaauwai also became the first Pilot since 2017 to earn All-WCC First Team honors and set a new single-match school record with 12 blocks.
• Setter Havannah Hoeft made an outstanding debut in the 2024 season, earning All-WCC Honorable Mention. She tallied a career-high 61 assists on Aug. 30—the most by a Pilot since 2018—and earned Freshman of the Week recognition. Hoeft posted 10 double-doubles and finished with 924 assists, the most by a freshman since 2016, placing her in the program's Top 20 all-time.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT
• The Cougars are led by Lucie Blažková, who has posted 253 kills and a team-high 109.0 blocks this season. Italia Bernal directs the offense with 543 assists, while Tinons Munar Galmés leads both the service line and the back row with 33 aces and 303 digs.
• The Bulldogs are powered by Sjakkie Donkers, who leads Gonzaga with 373 kills. Nia Damuni runs the offense with 611 assists and also leads the team with 203 digs. Taylor Walsh fronts the service line with 35 aces, while Dani Johnson anchors the front row with 70.0 blocks.
 

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