The University of the Pacific volleyball team will play its second of three matches on the week on Thursday night when they face Portland. The Pilots are coming off a split of the opening weekend of West Coast Conference play with a win over Gonzaga and a loss at nationally-ranked Pepperdine. Pacific has had success at the Chiles Center, winning five of the seven meetings. 

MATCH INFORMATION:
Teams: University of the Pacific (4-10, 1-2 WCC) at the University of Portland (4-7, 1-1 WCC)
Date: Thursday, September 30, 2021
Time: 6 p.m. (PT)
Location: Portland, Ore.
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=362033
Live Video: https://wccsports.com/watch/?sid=466944

A Look at the Opponent: 

Opponent Quick Facts
• Name: University of Portland
• Location: Portland, Ore.
• Nickname: Pilots
• Head Coach: Megan Burton

Block Party
The Tigers are averaging 1.80 blocks per set including a season-high 12 blocks in the five-set loss to Cal (Sept. 4). The 12 blocks are the most by a Pacific team since a 12 block effort at Portland on October 10, 2019. Ramonni Cook leads Pacific with 27 block assists, including five against Cal (Sept. 4). In eight matches, most recently against USF, the Tigers have recorded double-figure block assists. Pacific recorded a season-high 18 against CSUN (Sept. 11). The 18 were the most since a 22 block assist effort against Pepperdine on Nov. 3, 2018.

Home Sweet Home
With Tuesday's win at the Alex G. Spanos Center, the Tigers have won eight of its last nine conference home openers. Plus, Pacific has now won nine of its last ten meetings at home against the University of San Francisco. The lone blemish came last spring on Feb. 9, 2021. 

Seeing Double Double
Jenna Heller has had eight double doubles – including four of the last seven matches – on the season. Alexa Edwards has had five, Darina Kumanova has had three and Gabby Leo has had one.

Bringing the Hammer
In the five-set loss to Sacramento State (Sept. 10), the Tigers put down a season-high 66 kills. The 66 kills are the most since a 71-kill effort against Santa Clark on Feb. 23, 2021. Also, Pacific hit .200 in the win on Tuesday against USF – its second highest hitting percentage of the season.

All-Tournament Honors
• Ramonni Cook (Elk Grove, Calif.) was named to the Sacramento State All-Tournament Team. Cook averaged 2.67 kills per set and a .197 hitting percentage, plus she also averaged 0.67 blocks. In the Tigers' four-set win over CSUN, she had 10 kills en route to a .304 hitting percentage to go along with four blocks. The night before in a five-set loss to Sacramento State, she had 13 kills and three blocks.
• Alexa Edwards (Sacramento, Calif.), Darina Kumanova (Sofia, Bulgaria) and Jadyn Tubbs (Turlock, Calif.) were named to the Pacific Community Classic All-Tournament Team. Edwards, a sophomore outside hitter from Sacramento, had 50 kills and a .252 hitting percentage to go along with six blocks in the three matches to lead Pacific. She recorded a season-high 21 kills in the five-set loss to Cal. She started the tournament with an 18-kill performance in the straight-set win over Tarleton State.

Kumanova, a sophomore outside hitter from Sofia, Bulgaria has made an immediate impact after transferring in from UMBC. She had 31 kills and a .194 hitting percentage and a team-best 10 service aces. Kumanova had five of them in the straight-set win over UC San Diego.

Tubbs, a senior libero from Turlock, had a team-best 56 digs and five service aces in the three matches. All five of her service aces came in the straight-set win over Tarleton State.

Serving Up Aces
Pacific has had 12 service aces in three matches, most recently on Tuesday against USF (Sept. 28). The 12 aces are the most by a Pacific squad since they also had 12 aces against Alabama State on Sept. 7, 2018. Of note, Pacific had 13 service aces against the University of San Francisco on October 21, 2017.

No Sophomore Jinx
Sophomore Alexa Edwards is off to a strong second season in the orange and black with a team-high 209 kills. Her 209 kills lead the West Coast Conference, plus she is also third with 4.02 kills per set. She has been in double figures in kills in 12 of the Tigers' 15 matches.

Just Diggin It
Tigers' libero Jadyn Tubbs leads the WCC with 229 digs. Last spring, she broke the 1,000 career dig plateau. Tubbs is averaging 4.40 digs per set.

Setting Up for Success
Pacific is using a pair of setters – Jenna Heller and Gabby Leo – to set up its attack. Heller leads the Tigers with 339 assists and Leo has 171. Heller had 24 assists on Tuesday against USF, Leo added 11.

Family Tree
Alexa Edwards (Sacramento, Calif.) and Jenna Heller (Gilbert, Ariz.) are second generation members of the Tigers. Cathy Lumb-Edwards, the mother of Alexa Edwards, played on the 1986 national championship team and also went on to serve as a graduate assistant coach for the Tigers. Heller is the third member of her family to attend Pacific, as her father DJ (1989-90) played baseball while her mother Melanie (1988-91) was a two-time All-American on the volleyball team herself.
 
Classroom Success
The Tigers' Gabby Leo was named to the West Coast Conference All-Academic Team for a second-straight year for her efforts in the classroom. At the conclusion of each athletic season, the WCC selects an all-academic squad for each WCC-sponsored sport. To be considered, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average, while also being a significant contributor to her team.