Box Score

SALEM, Ore. - Jessica Durham and Jessica McGraw combined for 24 kills and 24 digs as the Willamette University Bearcats handed the George Fox University Bruins their third consecutive 3-0 loss (25-20, 25-21, 26-24) in a Northwest Conference women's volleyball match Saturday night here at Cone Fieldhouse.

After the Bruins took a 10-8 lead in the first set, the Bearcats tied the score at 15-15 and moved in front for good at 17-16 on an attacking error by George Fox. McGraw added a kill to give Willamette an 18-16 lead.  The Bruins won the next rally to pull within a point, but the Bearcats countered with a 4-1 run to take a 22-18 advantage. A kill by Durham completed the set.

The second set was close most of the way, although the Bruins never led. There were five ties as the score moved up to 9-9 before the Bearcats tallied the next two points. Willamette took four-point leads at 16-12 and 20-16, but George Fox pulled within 21-20 on a kill by Natalie Pickett.  A kill and ace by Durham extended the lead to 23-20.  Lyndsay Hovee recorded a kill for the Bruins to cut the lead to a single point, but Kelly Lindstrom killed one and McGraw and Christina McGilvray blocked an attack to end the set.

George Fox led throughout much of the third set but could never put the home team away. The Bearcats eventually took a 20-19 lead on a kill by McGraw.  The Bruins trailed 23-22, but used a kill by Pickett and a hitting error by Willamette to reach a set-point at 24-23.  After a timeout, the Bearcats won a lengthy rally that ended with a George Fox attack into the net to even the score.  A block by Lindstrom and Durham, gave the Bearcats a 25-24 edge, and another hitting error by George Fox ended the match.

Pickett and Hovee led the Bruins with nine kills apiece, but the Bruins hit only .101 as a team.  Ali Lefebvre passed out 22 assists and had a team-high nine digs.  The Bruins had 10 blocks as a team, with Jessica Morrison contributing one solo block and seven block assists.

Durham had 13 kills and 11 digs while McGraw had 11 kills and 13 digs to pace the Bearcats, who had 43 kills to 29 for the Bruins and hit .171.  Clare Chedester had 35 assists.

George Fox (10-8, NWC 4-4) will try to snap its three-match skid at Pacific University Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.  Willamette (4-14, NWC 2-6) hosts Whitworth University Friday at 7:00 p.m.