Oct. 28, 2010

Box Score

PORTLAND, Ore. - Behind a 17-kill and nine dig performance from senior outside hitter Amy Mahinalani DeGroot, the 19th-ranked University of San Diego women's volleyball team extended its winning streak to 10 with a 3-0 win over the University of Portland Thursday evening in a West Coast Conference match at the Chiles Center.

With the 25-20, 25-16, 25-20 win, the Toreros improve to 18-4 overall, remain perfect in WCC play at 8-0 and extend their winning streak to 10. With the loss, the Pilots fall to 9-15 overall and 2-6 in the WCC.

DeGroot led all players with her 17 kills on 28 swings, while only committing one attack error to post a season-high .571 attack percentage, while also recording nine digs. Senior right side Ali Troost also had a double-digit kill performance as she had 13. Senior setter Kelsi Myers racked up 42 assists, while helping steer the Toreros to a season-high .404 team attack percentage and freshman libero C'era Oliveira had a team-best 18 digs.

In the first set, the Toreros raced out to an early 4-1 lead as a Chloe Ferrari kill jump started the run and a Portland attack error capped things off to give USD the early momentum. The Pilots then dug in and slowly chipped away at the Toreros and eventually pulled even at 8-8, and again at 9-9 on a Marissa Plummer kill. The two teams then sea sawed back and forth a bit over the next several points. Finally late in the set with the score knotted at 19-19, a Troost kill off a set from Myers ignited a 6-1 Torero run to close things out and give USD a 25-20 win.

In the second set, the Pilots managed to keep things close in the early going, but with the score at 9-7 in favor of the Toreros, a Pilot service error sparked a 6-3 Torero run that was book ended on an Ashton Basch kill to give USD all the momentum, and a 15-10 advantage. The Toreros never let up as they closed out the frame on a 10-6 run to go into the break up two sets to none.

In the third and final set, it was again a sea saw battle in the early going with both teams taking their turn with the lead and neither team having a lead bigger than two. Then with the score knotted at 9-9, a DeGroot kill jump started a 6-2 Torero run to give San Diego some breathing room and a 15-11 lead. The two teams then seemed to trade point-for-point for the remainder of the match as USD went on to complete the sweep with a 25-20 win.

San Diego will return to action on Saturday as they travel to Spokane, Wash. to take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs in a 1 p.m. WCC match.