SAN FRANCISCO — The University of San Francisco volleyball team made a resounding return to The Hilltop Thursday night, with season and career-high numbers abounding, but it was visiting Portland who would escape with the narrowest of victories, coming from behind in the fifth set to grab a 3-2 (25-14, 18-25, 25-22, 16-25, 16-14) West Coast Conference win at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Having come from behind all night, the Dons (4-14, 0-7 WCC) were in full control in the fifth and deciding set, running out to a 10-5 lead thanks in part to three kills from Valeria Alegrias Cambindo and three total blocks from three different players. Portland (10-8, 2-5 WCC) called both of its timeouts in a span of two points, and it was the second one that turned the tide.
   
• Portland outscored USF 11-4 down the stretch, getting points in every which way – kills, blocks, service aces, and USF errors. San Francisco was still able to get to match point first at 14-13 thanks to Alegrias Cambindo's season-high 22nd kill of the night, but Portland scored each of the next three points, the first two coming on attack errors by the Dons, and the last coming on a kill off the block from Jayde Harris.
   
• Thursday's match was a see-saw battle. The Dons started hot, leading the first set, 7-4, but a 12-2 Portland run led the Pilots to an assertive 25-14 opening-set victory. Then it was the Dons who trailed, 11-7, in the second, but a 9-1 run surged them ahead for good and tied the match at 1-1 with a 25-18 USF set win.
   
• Set three was the closest, featuring 13 tie scores and five lead changes. San Francisco held a 22-21 lead looking to grab momentum in the match, but Portland again came from behind and scored the last four points with two kills from Liz Reich and two USF errors. Unfazed, the Dons never trailed in the fourth, grabbing an equally dominating 25-16 set win as Portland had done to open the match, sending it to a decisive fifth frame.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 22: Alegrias Cambindo led all players with her season-high mark of 22 kills. It was the second 20-kills match for the Dons this season after Kathya Garcia had 26 versus UC Riverside on Sept. 6.
• 57: Ally Wada achieved another career mark Thursday when she notched her first 50-assist performance with a match-high 57. She's seen her first career 30, 40 and now 50-assist matches all this season. She also had a double-double with a career-high 19 digs.
• 81: The Dons' 81 digs were a season high, and the most they've had in over a year, since collecting 83 in a five-set match versus Southern Utah on Sept. 8 last season. Six Dons had at least six digs, led by Garcia's career-high-tying 22.

COMING UP

• San Francisco hosts Gonzaga at noon Thursday before going back on the road next week. Fans can purchase tickets and find all live coverage links on USFDons.com.