Box Score

NEWBERG, Ore. - Gaining a measure of payback after Pacific University had spoiled their Northwest Conference home opener with a 3-0 win back on Sept. 17, the visiting George Fox University Bruins rallied from a two-sets-to-one deficit to stun the Boxers 3-2 (25-20, 23-25, 17-25, 25-21, 15-13) in women's volleyball Wednesday night here at the Pacific Athletic Center.

After the Bruins opened the first set with a 6-2 lead, Pacific charged back to tie it at 10-10 on an attack error.  After three ties, George Fox went ahead for good on a kill by Sarah Crossfield at 16-15.  The Bruins did not pull away until late when a Pacific attack error made it 22-18.  The Boxers came no closer then three points as the team's seventh attack error of the set secured the winning margin for the Bruins.

Pacific held the early lead in the second set, building a 5-1 lead on three straight Bruin attack errors.  George Fox came back to score six straight points, two off Stephanie Kerr kills, to take a 10-7 advantage.  George Fox led by as much as five points and held a 21-18 lead before the Boxers rallied to tie it at 22-22 on a kill by Kelsy Takashima.  Keleigh Kremers served the Boxers to four straight points before a block by Melissa Dunn and Takashima closed it out.

It was all Boxers in the third set as they posted a .275 attack percentage for the frame.  Dunn and Mari Kondo served the Boxers to three points each and Lia Nishikura served five more unanswered points for a commanding 14-4 lead.  The Bruins would not go down easily, scoring a string of six points off Jennifer Panico's serve, including two aces, to come within 17-12.  Pacific closed the door from there, allowing the Bruins just two more points off their own serve as Caitlin Gollehon closed the set with a kill.

Pacific held an early 8-3 lead in the fourth set, building the lead on a pair of Takashima kills off six straight winning serves by Kondo. George Fox quickly came back, tying the set at 10-10 on a Jenna Dohren service ace.  The Boxers went ahead by as much as three before the Bruins tied it again at 17-17 and taking the lead for good at 20-19 on a kill by Ashley Sheller.  The Bruins built a three-point lead late and won the set thanks to a block by Sheller and Natalie Pickett.

The Bruins jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the deciding set and led 6-4 before the Boxers took a 7-6 lead on three kills by Takashima.  The spikes sparked a six-point run for the Boxers, culminating on a kill by Kremers that gave Pacific a 10-6 lead.  George Fox quickly closed the door after that, tying it at 11-11 on a Jessica Morrison kill before building the eventual winning margin on a block by Morrison and Crossfield.

Sheller was the only Bruin in double figures in kills with 13, but the Bruins spread their 56 kills around to nine different players.  Pickett had nine kills, with Kerr, Crossfield, and Panico collecting seven each.  Lani Rasmussen passed out 24 assists and Ali Lefebvre had 23.  Dohren led the defensive effort with 28 digs, Sheller added 21, and Lyndsay Hovee had 17.  Morrison contributed six block assists to the team's total of 11 blocks., while Pickett and Kerr were in on four each.

Takashima paced the Boxers with 17 kills, Dunn added 15, and Gollehon had 12.  Brittney Johnson had 30 assists and Nishikura had 24.  Five Boxers reached double figures in digs: Dunn with 30, Kondo with 19, Takashima with 16, and Johnson and Kremers with 11 apiece.  Takashima had six block assists, while Kelsey Carter and Gollehon helped with five each out of the Boxers' total of 12, which tied the Pacific record for blocks in a five-set match.

Both teams take on nationally-ranked teams in their next matches. George Fox (11-8, NWC 5-4) returns to action Saturday, hosting 19th-ranked Pacific Lutheran University at 7:00 p.m.  Pacific (5-12, NWC 4-5) will try to get back on the winning side Friday with a home match against the 16th-ranked University of Puget Sound, also at 7:00 p.m.