Idaho, Portland Sweep Highlanders In Day Two Of Portland State Volleyball Showcase

Saturday, September 13

Portland, OR

1/1/1904 12:00:00 PM

UC Riverside

Idaho

Idaho, Portland Sweep Highlanders In Day Two Of Portland State Volleyball Showcase

9/13/2008 6:57:53 PM | Women's Volleyball

The Idaho Vandals and Portland Pilots both upended UC Riverside, 3-0, in the second and final day of the Portland State Volleyball Showcase Saturday. The losses extend UCR's (5-7) losing streak to five straight after opening the season with a 5-2 mark. The Highlanders will look to get back on the winning track at San Diego State on Tuesday, September 16 at 6 pm PT.

The Highlanders have been in most every set during their current cold streak, and the Idaho match was no exception. Back-to-back kills by Kelly Fink (San Dimas, CA) and Angela Pizzella (San Jose, CA) got UCR off on the right track in the first set as they built an eventual five point lead, 13-8. The Vandals pulled even at 15, however, and the teams were still tied 19-19 when Idaho closed things out with a 6-1 run.

In the second set, it was the Vandals jumping out early, leading by as many as six points before the Highlanders tied things at 12. Idaho pushed their lead back out to five, however, and the teams traded points for the remainder of the set which the Vandals took 25-19.

The third and final set was practically a mirror image of the first as the Highlanders led by as many as four in the early going only to have the Vandals tie things up at 12. Things were still even at 19, but Idaho picked up six of the last eight points to earn the win. The Highlanders hit just .117 on the match while Idaho connected at a .246 clip.

Brittney Murrey (El Cerrito, CA) picked up 23 assists in the match, passing Tiffany Brooks '04 into fifth place on the UC Riverside career assists list.

The loss to Portland was another nail-biter as the Highlanders led 14-13 in the first set only to have Portland walk away with the 25-22 win. The Pilots opened the second set with three consecutive service aces, but UCR worked their way back into the match and eventually took the lead 19-18. The teams were still tied at 20, but Portland's Ashley Grayson picked up kills on the next two points and the Pilots eventually took the second set 25-23.

In the final set, Portland jumped on the Highlanders early leading by as many as nine (15-6) at one point and had match point in their grasp at 24-17, but UCR ripped off the next five points to close within two. The Pilots regrouped, however, and a Jennifer Sheedy kill gave the match to Portland.