PORTLAND, Ore. - For the third time this season and for the second time in as many tries in conference play, the Pacific volleyball squad dropped a match in five suspenseful sets.

Host Lewis & Clark dealt the sorrow on Saturday night, outlasting the Boxers 25-23, 25-13, 24-26, 18-25, 15-11. The Pioneers improved to 5-4 on the year and to 2-0 in Northwest Conference play. Pacific, who also fell to Linfield on the road on Wednesday night in five sets, dropped to 1-7 and 0-2 in league action.

It was nearly a miracle comeback for the Boxers.

Down two sets to zero and behind 24-22 in the third set, the visitors scored four consecutive points to stay alive. Two of those rally points came off of kills by Morgan Mendicino, who finished with 11 kills on the night.

Buoyed by that turnaround, Pacific rolled to the fourth set win, leading by as many as eight points late in the game. They also jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the fifth and deciding rally scoring set and they also led at 5-4. But the Pioneers proceeded to run off seven straight points to take a 11-5 lead.

It looked to be in the books for good when Lewis & Clark stretched that margin to 14-6 a few moments later. But the Boxers rallied with five consecutive points of their own, which included two kills by Tiare Kaopua, who led Pacific with 13 total kills.

Only a service would kill the rally and give the match to the hosts.

Emily Farnham had 31 assists for Pacific, Ciara Smith had six blocks and Karissa Koma had 26 digs.

Pacific will step out of conference action and step onto the Stoller Center court for the first time this Wednesday (Sept. 23) at 7 p.m. against New Hope Christian.