PORTLAND, Ore. – The University of San Francisco women's volleyball team saw its good fortune in five set matches come to an ended as host Portland defeated the Dons 3-2 (25-23, 25-27, 25-15, 8-25, 12-15) on Thursday afternoon at the Chiles Center.
 
As a team, USF (4-3, 4-3 WCC) hit .182 for the match, finishing with 59 kills on 176 swings with 26 errors.  The Pilots (2-6, 1-6 WCC) countered by hitting .247, with 58 kills on 162 swings with just 18 errors. 
 
The Dons had three players in double-digits in kills. Valeria Alegrias Cambindo's led the Dons with a match-high 17 kills.  McKenna Marshall and Greta Corti added 15 each.  Orsula Staka had a career-best nine kills and also had five solo blocks.
 
Aylen Ayub had 33 assists and 11 digs.  Anna Dalla Vecchia had 22 digs, Bruna Correa had 14 assists and five digs along with three service aces in her USF debut.
 
Portland also had three players in double digits in kills. Jayde Harris had 14 to lead the Pilots followed by 12 from Mia Wesley. Nevaeh Bray had 10. 
 
"It wasn't our sharpest match," said head coach Frank Lavrisha. "We fought, but we didn't take advantage of certain opportunities that presented themselves.  They played a little bit cleaner and as a result they won. It was great to get Bruna out there.  Her serving really made a difference for us to come back and win the first set which was a real sot in the arm for us."
 
The opening set was a roller coaster.  The Dons fell behind early thanks to a 7-0 run by the Pilots. Portland led 10-4 at that point with USF managing just one kill on 12 attacks and two errors. 
 
A 6-2 run by the Dons brought the score within two, 15-13 following a kill by Staka, the second of her four kills in the set.  Late in the frame, USF took the lead 22-21 thanks to a 5-0 run keyed by a Correa ace and a kill by Marshall.  The Dons finished off the set with a kill by Alegrias Cambindo, her fifth of the game.  
 
The Dons hit .262 in the first set.  Smashing 15 kills on 42 swings with four errors.  They began the set hitting -0.083 thanks to two attack errors on one kill on their first 12 attempts.
 
In the second set the Dons took control early, carrying the momentum from the first set.  USF led 11-6 early following a solo block by Katie Wagstaff.  From there the Pilots went to work, eventually tying the set up at 12 and taking the lead the next play. 
 
Late in the set the Dons had set point, up 24-23, but an attack error by Corti evened the frame up at 24 all.  The Pilots would go on to take the set 27-25 thanks to a 3-0 run capped off by a kill from Wesley.
In the third set the Dons blasted the Pilots.  USF hit a team-high .333 in the set, finishing with 18 kills on 45 swings with just three errors. Corti was particularly effective, finishing the set with eight of her 15 kills.
 
A kill by Portland made it 10-5 Dons, from there USF took over, gong on a 7-1 run capped off by a kill by Alegrias Cambindo. The Dons put the set away on an ace by Correa.
 
In the fourth and fifth set the Dons looked like a different team.  The Pilots raced past the Dons 25-8 in the fourth. USF managed just one kills on 22 swings with eight attack errors in the set.  In the fifth set with the momentum in the home teams favor the Dons fell behind early.
 
With the score 9-7 Pilots, the Dons burned a timeout.  Out of the break USF found new life and tied the set up 10-10 on a block by Marshall and Wagstaff. The Dons briefly took a lead thanks to a kill by Marshall. 
 
A quick timeout from Portland allowed the Pilots to regain control. They tied the match at 11 on a kill by Noelani Helm. Three attack errors down the stretch sealed the deal for the Pilots, the final coming on a block by Helm and Bray.  
 
The Dons and Pilots will return to action tomorrow at noon when they play the finale of their back-to-back series.  The game will be streamed on the WCC Network.