LINFIELD 3, GEORGE FOX 2: Reeves Sets Digs Record but Bruins Fall to Wildcats in Five

McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Senior libero Patti Reeves had 40 digs and ended her career as the all-time leader in digs per set for George Fox University, but that was not enough to prevent the Bruins from dropping a 3-2 decision to the Linfield College Wildcats  in Northwest Conference women’s volleyball action Saturday night here at Ted Wilson Gym.

Linfield posted a 25-23, 16-25, 22-25, 25-19, 15-9 win, sweeping the season series from George Fox in five-setters both times.  The Wildcats finished with an 11-14 overall record and in sixth place in the NWC at 6-10.  The Bruins ended at 10-15 overall and tied for seventh with Willamette University at 5-11 in the conference after losing their sixth five-set match in as many opportunities this season.

Reeves’ big night left her with 502 digs on the season, the second-highest total in a single season in George Fox history and topping the 500 she had last year.  In her two-year career, she made 1,002 digs in 178 sets, an average of 5.63 per set, to establish a new Bruin all-time mark.

The first set was tight throughout as there were 11 ties and no lead larger than three points.  George Fox twice took three-point leads, at 14-11 and again at 22-19, but the Wildcats bounced back to win with a 6-1 run.  A pair of kills by Victoria Thompson, including the set-clincher, highlighted the rally.

In the second set, neither team held a lead greater than two points until the Bruins opened things up with an 11-2 run that earned them a 19-9 advantage. Cassie Irwin and Stephanie Kerr had two kills apiece in that stretch, and Erin Campbell registered six kills in the set, including two of the Bruins’ last three points.

With the score knotted at 12-12 in the third set, a Linfield service error and a kill by Kerr gave the Bruins a lead they would not relinquish.  A kill by Betsy Wilhelm pushed the George Fox lead to 22-15, but a winner by Leimomi Hookano and three straight attacking errors allowed the Wildcats to close to within three at 22-19.  The Bruins survived with kills by Tiffany Burk and Kerr and a final Linfield attack error.

Despite registering an .026 hitting percentage and only five kills, Linfield managed to win the fourth set by holding the Bruins, who committed 12 attack errors, to a minus -.036 mark.  The Wildcats built a 15-8 lead, and the Bruins got no closer than five points after that.

In the deciding set, Linfield never trailed and took the lead for good, breaking a 6-6 tie, on a service error followed by a kill by Kailana Ritte-Camara.  A kill by Kerr brought the Bruins within a point at 9-8, but the home team raced off on a 6-1 run to secure the match, capped by an ace by Ritte-Camara.  Linfield hit .429, with 10 kills and only one error, in the final set.

For George Fox, Campbell claimed match honors with 17 kills, Kerr had 12, and Wilhelm added 10.  Mackenzie Teigen had 26 assists and Chelsea Wilson 17.  Campbell joined Reeves on defense with 20 digs, Wilson had 14, and Teigen 13.  Burk had a solo block and five block assists out of the Bruins’ team total of eight.

Kelsey Ludin paced the Wildcats with 12 kills, and Hookano added nine.  Audrey Frazier passed out 36 assists.  Samantha Lau had 23 digs, Courtney Wanamaker 17, and Frazier 16.  Lau, who also served six aces, broke her own single-season Linfield record for digs with 582, breaking her own mark of 561 set last season. The Linfield career digs leader finished with 1,881 digs in four seasons, over 600 more than any other player in program history.