Oct. 30, 2014 Final Stats
Box Score: Pepperdine 3, Portland 
MALIBU, Calif. - Led by Katie Messing with a match-high 17 kills, the Pepperdine women's volleyball team swept Portland 25-19, 25-21, 21-9 on Thursday evening. Messing's career kill tally now stands at 995 as the senior climbs closer to the 1,000 kills milestone.
The Waves (8-15, 3-8 West Coast Conference) were unstoppable on offense, and committed a season-low five attack errors while hitting .365 (43 kills-5 errors-104 attempts) on the evening. At the service line, Pepperdine out-aced Portland 8-3.
"I was very pleased with our performance tonight," said head coach Troy Tanner. "I liked how we played in all phases of the game. We served tough, hit tough, we were digging, blocking, siding out. We came in ready to compete."
Messing (The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands HS), coming off a career-high 23 kills performance on Saturday at BYU, continued to lead the offense on Thursday with 17 kills. The senior swung at a season-high .455 (17-2-33) clip, while adding seven digs. Messing is now just five kills shy of becoming the Waves' 17th member of the 1,000 career kills club, and first since 2011.
Samantha Cash (San Diego, Calif./Canyon Crest Academy) scored 10 points following a well-rounded performance that included six blocks, five kills and a pair of aces.
Gaby Palmeri (Davis, Calif./St. Francis HS) and Jillian Bergeson (Friendswood, Texas/Friendswood HS) both added seven kills apiece. Becca Strehlow (Long Beach, Calif./Woodrow Wilson HS) managed the offense with 28 assists, while adding 13 digs and a perfect 5-for-5 effort on the attack.
Allie Loitz (Bonita, Calif./Bonita Vista HS) joined Strehlow in double-figure digs, collecting 11.
The Waves and Pilots (5-16, 0-10 WCC) exchanged points early on, but the home squad quickly took over control of the frame. Kills by Strehlow and Olivia Okoro (Carrollton, Texas/Hebron HS/Tennessee) in succession preceded a Cash ace that put Pepperdine out in front 18-12. Led by Messing's five kills and four total team aces, the Waves put away set one 25-19.
After the Pilots led by a pair of points to begin set two, Pepperdine went on a 4-0 run to overtake the advantage at 13-11 and never looked back. Messing added eight more kills, while Bergeson cashed in on five kills off of 11 errorless swings and the Waves won the set 25-21.
The Waves controlled the tempo from start to finish in the third, putting together an impressive team effort. Cash kept the Pilots in check, charting five of her six blocks in the third set. Messing continued to deliver on the offensive side, and Pepperdine won handily 25-9. It was the fewest points the Waves have allowed in a 25-point set this season.
Pepperdine hosts Gonzaga on Saturday, November 1` at 1 p.m. to conclude this week's action.
