STOCKTON, Calif. – The Pacific women's volleyball team (11-7, 3-3) earned its seventh consecutive home win of the season, taking down Portland (6-12, 1-5) by a 3-1 margin, 25-22, 25-17, 22-25, 25-16, Thursday at the Alex G. Spanos Center.
 
In a match filled with coaches' challenges and a pair of key runs by Pacific, the Tigers pounced to their third conference win of the year and 11th win of the campaign.
 
"I thought that was a great team win," said head coach Greg Gibbons. "We got tested a little bit in that third set, but I loved the bounce back in the fourth set. We fought for our points, went on some runs and played with some confidence."
 
A well-rounded effort by the Tigers was led by fifth-year senior Biamba Kabengele with a double-double (12 kills and 11 digs). Senior Alexa Edwards was one kill shy of a double-double as she collected nine kills and ten digs. Junior Jenna Heller led the Tigers with 19 assists.
 
"For the fourth set, we wanted to make a statement," said Heller. "We call that our statement set. We showed what we can do well as a team."
 
A back-and-forth first set saw the Tigers take the opening frame by a score of 25-22, thanks to hitting .345 (14-4-29). A combined 13 tie scores and five lead changes showcased the lengthy duration of the set.
 
An 8-0 run with senior Darina Kumanova serving sparked a huge momentum shift midway through the second set, propelling the Tigers to a 25-17 set point. Pacific hit .440 (13-2-25) in the second frame.
 
The Tigers had a chance to take the game in three sets, but Portland had other plans, snatching the third frame by a score of 25-22.
 
In the fourth and final set, the Tigers jumped out to 15-4 lead, in large part thanks to a 12-0 run with Kabengele at the service line. Portland attempted to create some momentum offensively, but the Tigers pulled away with effective plays all around in the fourth frame to win the set, 25-16.
 
Pacific returns to action against Gonzaga at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14 at the Alex G. Spanos Center.
 
"It's so fun playing at home," said Heller. "Our fans love us and we love our fans. The support we feel on the court is amazing."