Next Match: at Hawaii 9/7/2018 | 10:00 P.M.

HONOLULU, Hawai'i --- The Portland Pilots volleyball team began their weekend on top, winning the first match of the Outrigger Volleyball Challenge against the San Diego State Aztecs on Thursday night at the Stan Sheriff Center. The Pilots swept in three sets, winning 25-18, 25-22, and 25-18.



The Pilots extended their best start in program history, remaining undefeated with a record of 7-0.



Despite his record-breaking success early in his career, head coach Jeff Baxter wanted to keep his teams focus on the future. "(It's) tough to beat good teams twice within two weeks", Baxter said. "I'm proud of the way our team executed and excited about the challenge the University of Hawai'i presents us tomorrow."



Senior Reghan Pukis led the Pilots in kills with 12, while junior Cali Thompson set up her teammates well with 28 assists.



The match started with both teams going back and forth. After the Aztecs had tied the set at 11-11, the Pilots went on a 4-0 run to grab hold of the lead. They would go on to win 25-18, led by Reghan Pukis's four early kills.



With the second set beginning the same as the first, the Pilots struggled to separate themselves initially from the Aztecs. After going on a couple of 3-0 runs, the competitive match was won by the Pilots 25-22 as Izzy Guzik had three kills throughout the match to hold off any Aztec attack.



After taking the first two sets, the Aztecs went on two 4-0 runs to show they meant business, taking the lead at 9-3. The Pilots would counter with a couple of 3-0 runs of their own, and would tie the set at 14-14. After exchanging points, the Pilots went on a 6-0 run to increase their lead to 21-16, and would shortly finish the sweep to the score of 25-18.



The Pilots were able to hold off the Aztecs defensively thanks to sophomore Carey Williams' 15 digs, and sophomore Katie Barker's 6 blocks.



The Pilots will continue their weekend action against the University of Hawai'i on Friday at 10 p.m. (Pacific) at the Stan Sheriff Center.