The Portland Pilots women’s beach volleyball team lost all three of their duals at the West Coast Challenge in Santa Cruz, Calif., according to a March 28 report. The team faced Pepperdine and Santa Clara on Friday before concluding the tournament against San Francisco on Saturday.
The event is significant for the Pilots as it marks a key point in their season, providing opportunities for competition against strong conference opponents and a chance to evaluate player progress ahead of upcoming home events.
In their opening match, Portland was defeated by Pepperdine with a score of 5-0. Despite the loss, there were close contests within individual pairings. Melissa Cormack and Jeryn Hildenbrand pushed their match at the No. 5 position to scores of 21-19 and 21-17, while Elin Larsson and Leonie Freytag also competed closely but fell in straight sets at No. 1.
Later that day, the Pilots lost another dual to Santa Clara by the same margin. Several pairs extended their matches into extra sets; Freytag and Larsson won their first set but ultimately dropped a three-set battle at No. 1, while Valerie Bruk and Michela Strati went to three sets before falling at No. 3.
Portland closed out its weekend on Saturday with a 4-1 defeat against San Francisco but managed to secure one point in that matchup before leaving Santa Cruz.
Looking ahead, Portland will return home for Senior Day on Wednesday, April 15th when they host Corban in a doubleheader.
