LEWIS & CLARK 3, GEORGE FOX 0: Pios Sweep Bruins to Open 2nd Half of NWC Play

NEWBERG, Ore. – Completing a sweep of their two-game season series, the visiting Lewis & Clark College Pioneers opened the second half of Northwest Conference women’s volleyball play with a 3-0 win (25-23, 25-19, 26-24) over the George Fox University Bruins Friday night here at the Wheeler Sports Center’s Miller Gym.

In the opening set, George Fox used a 6-0 run featuring two aces by Jenna Dohren, kills by Stephanie Kerr and Isabel Valentine, and a block by Valentine and Kristin Knaupp to take an early 9-5 lead.  Lewis & Clark responded with a 12-5 stretch to take its largest lead at 17-14, sparked by five kills and an ace by Jennifer Dowdy.  The Bruins battled back to tie the set four more times but could never pull ahead, and the Pioneers finished it off after a 23-23 deadlock with kills by Leia Matsunaga and Margaret Dowling.

The Pios took an unusual victory in the second set, winning by the largest margin of the night despite only five kills and a negative hitting percentage of -.026.  The Pioneer defense limited the Bruins to only a .059 mark and served six aces while the home team committed nine attack errors.  The Bruins held an early 7-5 lead before the Pios broke a 9-9 tie with consecutive kills by Dowdy and never trailed again.  Elena Hoff’s ace, her second in a row, gave Lewis & Clark its largest lead at 24-16, and a winner by Alicia Callejo-Black ended the set.   

L&C took a 9-6 lead in the third set before the Bruins took off on a 10-3 outburst to seize a 16-12 lead.  Three kills by Kerr and two by Eliza Pledger fueled the run.  The Pios fought back to forge ties at 20-20, 21-21, 22-22, and 23-23 before George Fox took the lead with a kill by Kerr.  Dowling answered with a winner for the Pios on set point, then completed the sweep with a kill by Katherine Fiedler and a Bruin attack error.

Kerr had 13 kills and only one error for a .414 hitting percentage and Pledger added nine kills for the Bruins, who hit .159 (39-19-126) for the match.  Ali Toedtemeier handed out 35 assists.  Patti Reeves had 20 digs on defense and Dohren added 10.   

Dowdy was the only Pio in double figures in kills with 14, and Matsunaga passed out 35 assists.  Lewis & Clark hit .134 as a team (38-21-127).  Lou Ohki made 14 digs and Hoff and Matsunaga 10, while Fiedler contributed three block assists.

NEXT:  George Fox (7-12, NWC 2-7) visits Willamette University in Salem,Ore., Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ... Lewis & Clark (8-11, NWC 4-5) travels to Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore., Saturday at 7:00 p.m.