The Portland Pilots women’s beach volleyball team will play three dual matches at the West Coast Challenge in Santa Cruz, California, beginning Friday, Mar. 27.
The event is significant for the Pilots as they look to improve their record and gain experience against strong competition. The team is scheduled to face Pepperdine and Santa Clara on Friday at Main Beach, with a third opponent yet to be determined for Saturday.
Last week, the Pilots faced tough matches against the Oregon Ducks. Despite losing both doubleheaders by scores of 5-0, several matches were closely contested. The No. 1 pair of Sarah Incitti and Tate Mercer won their first set before narrowly losing in three sets during the opening dual. Leonie Freytag and Elin Larsson also pushed their match to three sets after taking a tight first set. Valerie Bruk and Michela Strati similarly forced a deciding set but ultimately fell short.
In previous home matches against Oregon, Freytag and Larsson led Portland by securing points in each dual with straight-set wins at different positions. Their efforts included a close three-set victory over Liz Rossi and Bella Gamache of Oregon.
Head coach Dylan Hamilton is now in his third year leading the program, supported by assistant coach Kili Robins and volunteer assistant Madi Culp. The roster features six returning players from last season along with several newcomers from both beach volleyball and indoor rosters. Last season, Portland finished with a record of 5-17.
Looking ahead, the Pilots aim to build on recent performances as they take on conference rivals this weekend.
