University of Denver
9-9,2-4WCC
Portland
10-5,3-3WCC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | 25 | 20 | 22 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
| Portland | 22 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 8 | 2 |
Pioneers Earn First WCC Road Win in Five-Set Thriller at Portland
10/15/2026 10:18:00 PM | Volleyball
PORTLAND, Ore. – The University of Denver volleyball team earned its first West Coast Conference road victory on Thursday night, battling past Portland in five sets at the Chiles Center. The Pioneers won 25-22, 20-25, 22-25, 25-21, 15-8 to improve to 9-9 overall and 2-4 in WCC play.
LEADERS
Lily Van Hal turned in a career performance, recording a career-high 36 assists and three service aces while adding 14 digs. Kayla Patel led Denver with 15 kills, while Alicia Thibodeau and Hailey Goebel each contributed 14. Thibodeau hit .444 and tied her career high with four service aces.
Izabela Molina added a career-high 11 kills while hitting .350, and Madison Winkler anchored the defense with 15 digs. Ilayda Eren contributed 11 assists.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Denver finished with 69 kills and a .329 hitting percentage.
- The Pioneers recorded eight service aces and nine total blocks.
- Denver hit .407 in the fourth set to force a deciding fifth frame before closing out the match with a .467 hitting percentage in the final set.
STRONGEST SET
Denver delivered its most efficient performance in the deciding fifth set, recording nine kills with just two errors on 15 attempts to hit .467. After dropping the second and third sets, the Pioneers responded with a 25-21 win in the fourth, hitting .407 with 14 kills and three errors to force the deciding frame. Denver carried that momentum into the fifth, pulling away for a 15-8 victory to secure its first WCC road win.
NOTES
- Denver earned its first West Coast Conference road victory, improving to 9-9 overall and 2-4 in conference play.
- Lily Van Hal recorded career highs in assists (36) and service aces (3).
- Izabela Molina set a career high with 11 kills.
- Hailey Goebel set a career high with 14 kills.
- Alicia Thibodeau tied her career high with four service aces.
- Kayla Patel finished with 15 kills, two shy of her career high.
Head coach Megan Pendergast on the win:
"Nice to get our first WCC road win. We need to use this win and continue to find ways to grow as a group."
UP NEXT
Denver continues its road trip on Saturday, Oct. 17, facing Seattle at 2 p.m. MT in Seattle, Washington.
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