Box Score
Photos
PORTLAND, Ore. --- The No. 20 Kansas State Wildcats defeated the Portland Pilots 3-0 Friday evening at the 2008 Nike Invitational at the Chiles Center. The Pilots pushed K-State to the limit in the third set, 28-26, after the first two sets closed with identical 25-15 scores.
K-State (5-1) outside hitter Rita Liliom finished with a match-high 11 kills.
K-State, who remains undefeated in this 2008 Nike Invitational, took the first set thanks to a combined attack from Wildcats Megan Farr with four kills, and three kills apiece for Liliom, Natalya Korobkova and Kelsey Chipman.
The team attack continued into the second set with seven Wildcat players contributing at least two kills each to the team total.
In the third set, the Wildcats took advantage of some early errors from the Pilots to take a quick lead of 6-3. Portland stayed calm and pulled the score to an even 7-7, which was followed by an exchange of kills from both teams. A kill by Ashley Grayson allowed UP to enjoy their first lead of the night at 10-9. The lead widen to 13-10 thanks to a kill from Fox and two Wildcat errors.
More back-and-forth play moved the score to an even 16-16 until a kill by Jessica Clemens, two by Sheedy and one by Fox brought the score to 21-18 in Portland’s favor. They would enjoy the lead a little longer thanks to two more kills by Fox. From there, K-State reclaimed the lead at 23-22. A big block from Wildcats Korobkova and Shipman came at a key moment, but a pair of kills from late substitute Shelly Sievers kept the Pilots in the game at 25-25. The Pilots continued to make the Wildcats fight hard to finish the set and match with a 28-26 score.
K-State posted an attacking percentage of .318. Wildcats Megan Farr and Korobkova had eight apiece.
Portland junior Kaylyn Jones finished with 27 assists, while senior K.C. Fox had a team-high eight kills. Both sophomore Jessica Clemens and freshman Allix Strahon finished with 13 digs each.
The tournament concludes on Saturday at the Chiles Center with matches between UC Irvine and Arizona State at 9:30 a.m. and Kansas State and South Florida at noon. Portland and South Florida close the tourney with 7 p.m. match.
