Box Score PORTLAND, Ore. — The #22 Pepperdine women's volleyball team came out strong against West Coast Conference foe Portland, sweeping past the Pilots with 25-13, 25-15 and 27-25 sets. 
 
In a similar trend to the first half of the season, the Waves (15-5, 6-3 WCC) had five players hit for double-figures, four of which posted a .321 success rate or higher as well.  The attack was led by freshman Emily Hellmuth with 13 kills, while junior Meg Brown had a team-high six blocks.  This is the 12^th match Hellmuth has hit for double-figures throughout her career.
 
Three Waves also posted double-digit digs, led by graduate student Riley Patterson, sophomore Grace Chillingworth and senior Kayleigh Hames respectively.  Patterson marked double-figure digs for the 18^th time in tonight's match as well.
 
BIG WAVES
Emily Hellmuth (Dallas, Texas/Highland Park HS): 13 kills, .321 hitting %, 3 blocks, 1 ace
Meg Brown (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS): 6 kills, .385 hitting %, 6 blocks, 4 digs
Emma Ammerman (Parker, Colo./Chaparral HS): 8 kills, .353 hitting %, 3 blocks
Isabel Zelaya (Tomball, Texas/Concordia Lutheran HS): 29 assists, 4 digs, 1 block
Vanessa Polk (Saint Louis, Mo./John Burroughs HS): 7 kills, .545 hitting %, 3 blocks
Grace Chillingworth (Tustin, Calif./Foothill HS): 11 digs, 2 aces, 4 kills, 1 block
Riley Patterson (Sonora, Calif./Sonora HS/Pacific): 12 digs, 2 aces
Kayleigh Hames (Maryville, Tenn./Webb School of Knoxville): 10 digs
 
WAVES VS. PILOTS
Pepperdine was solid from start to finish, amassing 38 kills on a .260 success rate, while giving up only 27 kills on a .065 output to the opposition.  The Waves also led with an impressive 9.0-block effort, while the Pilots picked up 4.0 themselves.  Pepperdine also led 6-5 in aces and 48 to 35 in digs for the victory.
 
PEPPERDINE ATTACK BY SET
Set       K          E          TA        Pct
1          11        2          33        .273
2          14        4          30        .333
3          13        5          40        .200
TTL      37        11        103      .252
 
PORTLAND ATTACK BY SET
Set       K          E          TA        Pct
1          6          10        33        -.121
2          5          4          29        .034
3          16        6          45        .222
TTL      27        20        107      .065
 
PLAY-BY-PLAY
Pepperdine came out strong from the beginning, with an ace from Grace Chillingworth and kills from Meg Brown and Emma Ammerman leading the charge 9-2.  It wasn't all offensive for the squad, however, as blocks from Emily Hellmuth with either Meg Brown or Vanessa Polk kept the Waves pushing forward to the 11-3 mark.  A 9-1 run late in the action with an ace from Trinity Stanger and more smashes from Brown and Ammerman put the team in a position to close.  A final Hellmuth kill would do the honors, putting the Waves at 25-13 and heading into the second set with the advantage.
 
The second set began with the same momentum as the first after the Waves busted out to a 7-2 lead with an ace from Patterson and a block collaboration from Brown and Ammerman.  The Pilots ame within two at the 9-7 mark, but Pepperdine then produced back-to-back smashes from Hellmuth and then some to build a 13-8 advantage.  A 9-1 run again in the set pushed the squad to a 12-point lead late in the set, courtesy of a block and four separate smashes from Polk for the 22-10 lead.  The Waves were able to capitalize on a few Portland errors to close the set 25-15.
 
The third set would prove to be the tightest overall, but not by much.  After going nearly point-for-point en route to a 10-9 lead, a block from Zelaya and Brown, followed by kills from Hellmuth gave the Waves a three-point lead 13-10.  Pepperdine would remain two or three points ahead throughout the rest of the set, building a 16-12 lead with more smashes from Hellmuth and Polk.  A block from Ammerman and Brown kept the Waves on track and kills from Brown and Hellmuth put the squad in a position to close.  Though Portland was able to bring the set to a one-point differential and even tie the set at 24-24 and earn a set-point opportunity 25-24, the Waves countered by capitalizing on some Pilot errors to tie things up and gain a match-point opportunity.  An ace from Hellmuth ended the set 27-25 and earned Pepperdine the sweep.
 
UP NEXT
On Saturday, the Waves roll into the second round of West Coast Conference action, facing Gonzaga in Spokane at noon.  The first time the two teams met this season at home, Pepperdine swept the Zags.
 
FOLLOW
Follow the Waves on Facebook and Twitter, @WavesVolleyball, and follow the team on Instagram, @peppvolley.  Get all the most recent schedules, results and more on www.PepperdineWaves.com.