STOCKTON, Calif.- Pacific returns home for a two-game slate ahead of a jam-packed Homecoming weekend in Stockton. The Tigers host the Portland Pilots (6-11, 1-4 WCC) and Gonzaga Bulldogs (3-13, 0-5 WCC) at the Alex G. Spanos Center as they seek to defend their perfect home court record.
 
After a stint in Southern California, Pacific looks to bounce back into the win column, after falling to LMU 3-2 and San Diego 3-0. They'll have a decent shot, with the Pilots coming off a four-game skid after opening conference play 1-0. The Bulldogs are still seeking their first win in WCC play. 
 
On Thursday night, the Tigers take on the Pilots. Portland is led by Maui Robins, who has 225 kills and averages 3.21 kills/s, both sixth best in the conference. She is aided by two more Pilots with over 100 kills on the year, Taina Kaauwai (107) and Lia Hawken (107). Kaauwai leads the team with a .243 hitting percentage on attempts greater than 100. 
 
Added to the Pilot offense is Una Rajkovic, who leads the team and conference with 31 service aces. She also bolsters the Pilot defense with her .64 blocks/s. Kili Robins' 168 digs pace the team; her sister Maui follows behind with 139.
 
The Tigers are 14-4 against the Pilots since rejoining the WCC and hold an 8-1 advantage over Portland at the Spanos Center. Pacific has won three of the last four contests since restarting the series post-pandemic.
 
On Saturday afternoon, the Bulldogs come to town. Gonzaga is led by Zoe Thiros, who paces the team with 170 kills, while averaging 3.27 kills/s, which ranks her fifth in the conference. Thiros is hitting .193, which leads the team in attempts greater than 100. She's aided by Juliette Russell's 109 kills and Nia Damuni's 479 assists, which ranks Damuni fourth in the conference.
 
Gonzaga's Viktoriya Ivanova leads the team with 172 digs, averaging 3.13 digs/s. She's aided by three more Bulldogs with over 100 digs, Kim (143), Thiros (123), and Damuni (109). Russell elevates the Bulldog defense with .71 blocks/s.
 
Pacific leads Gonzaga 13-5 since 2013. The Tigers are 8-2 at the Spanos Center and have an active five-game winning streak over the Bulldogs.
 
The Tigers are led by fifth year senior Biamba Kabengele, who paces the team with 233 kills and 22 service aces on the year. Her 3.70 kills/s leads the conference. She's aided by senior Alexa Edwards, who averages 3.11 kills/s, seventh in the conference. Junior Jenna Heller paves the way for the Tiger offense as her 472 assists rank her fifth in the conference.
 
Sophomore Emily Van Groningen puts the Tigers on a strong defensive as she averages .87 blocks/s. Junior Megan Nishimura bolsters the defense with 239 digs, which ranks her fourth in the conference. Edwards and Heller also contribute with 168 digs a piece so far this year.
 
The Tigers host Portland on Thursday, Oct. 12 at 6 p.m. They return on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 12:30 p.m. to take on Gonzaga. 
 
Grab your tickets for both events here and celebrate Homecoming with the Tigers at the Spanos Center.