STOCKTON, Calif. – The Pacific volleyball team defeated Portland, 16-25, 30-28, 25-17, 25-27, 15-8, in a West Coast Conference contest Thursday evening at the Alex G. Spanos Center.
 
"I am very proud of this team," Head Coach Greg Gibbons said after the match. "We haven't had a consistent starting lineup all season due to injuries and illness, and they came out tonight and fought hard together."
 
Winning their fifth five-set match of the season, the Tigers (14-13, 6-10) accumulated 62 kills throughout the contest, the sixth time this season the team has recorded more than 60 kills in a match. Biamba Kabengele led the charge offensively, recording a team-high 24 kills. Surpassing the 20-kill threshold for the third time this season, Kabengele improved her season total to 267 while ranking second on the team in the category.
 
The Burlington, Ontario senior continues to shine throughout conference play as she ranks seventh in the league with 193 kills in 13 conference matches.
 
Alexa Edwards contributed to the offensive efforts, recording her ninth double-double of the season with 13 kills and a season-high 17 digs. Darina Kumanova, the third team member to reach a double-digit kill total, added a season-high 15.
 
Defensively, the Tigers held the Pilots (10-17, 3-13) to a .157 hitting percentage and recorded six blocks.
 
After dropping the first set, the Tigers bounced back in the next frame, winning a back-and-forth second set to tie the match at a set apiece. Despite extending the lead to 21-11, the Tigers dropped 11 of the following 12 points as the Pilots tied the set at 22. Facing multiple set points later on, the Tigers ended on a 5-2 run to secure the set.
 
Winning the second set easily, the Tigers dropped a tightly contested fourth frame as the Pilots forced the match to a deciding fifth frame. At the start of the final frame, both teams kept the score close, with four lead changes occurring in the first 13 points. Trailing 7-6 midway through the set, the Tigers ended the match on a 9-1 to secure the five-set victory.
 
Pacific returns to action at noon on Saturday, Nov. 19, as the team faces off against Gonzaga on Senior Day at the Alex G. Spanos Center.