Box Score

NEWBERG, Ore. - Finishing off the 2008 season on a high note, the George Fox University Bruins downed the Willamette University Bearcats for the second time this fall 3-1(25-20, 25-21, 13-25, 25-19) in a Northwest Conference women's volleyball match Saturday night here at the Wheeler Sports Center's Miller Gym.

The Bruins' season had begun with promise as the team opened up 5-0, and were 10-5 overall after going 4-1 in their first five conference matches.  The second half had been a struggle, however, as the Bruins had dropped nine out of ten and six in a row before snapping out of it with the season-ending win over Willamette.

The Bearcats took an early 5-2 lead in set one behind three kills by Jessica Durham, but the Bruins bounced back to take the lead for good at 10-9 on a kill by Lani Rasmussen.  Though the Bruins never trailed again, the Bearcats stayed close and were only down 21-20 after another kill by Durham pulled them within a point.  A kill by Ashlie Keimig, a combination block by Natalie Pickett and Ashley Sheller, and kills by Pickett and Sheller enabled the Bruins to take the first set.

The second set was a contest of streaks.  The Bearcats scored the first seven points on a kill by Jessica McGraw and six winning serves by Kellie Menghini, including one ace.  Down 9-3, the Bruins used a 7-0 run of their own, Pickett starting the streak with a kill and then serving for six winning points.   It was then the Bearcats' turn for an 8-1 stretch that gave them a 17-11 lead, only to have the Bruins reel off another 7-0 streak, Sheller serving six of the winning points with a pair of aces.  After ties of 18-18 and 19-19, the Bruins took control with a kill by Sarah Crossfield and two Bearcat attack errors, and eventually closed out the set on a spike by Sheller.

The third set belonged to the Bearcats, who broke away from a 6-6 tie with a 9-1 run that included three more service aces and kills by McGraw, Carli Sash, and Kelly Lindstrom for a 15-7 lead.  The Bruins got no closer than seven thereafter, and a Lindstrom kill to end the set gave the Bearcats their largest margin.

Neither team was able to mount more than a three-point run throughout the fourth set.  The Bruins broke a 9-9 tie on a kill by Crossfield and a Jenna Dohren ace, then gradually extended the lead to 23-15 as Jennifer Panico hit back-to-back kills and Crossfield added another.  A Bearcat attack error ended the match.

Pickett led the Bruins with 12 kills while Panico and Crossfield added eight apiece.  Ali Lefebvre and Rasmussen had 21 and 16 assists respectively.  Dohren led all defensive players with 28 digs, Panico added 27, and Sheller had 23.  The Bruins had 12 blocks as a team, with Jessica Morrison contributing eight that moved her into the GFU top ten list with 142 in her career.  Pickett, who is fifth all-time in blocks, had four to give her 216.

McGraw led all hitters with 17 kills for the Bearcats, with Durham and Lindstrom adding eight each.  Christine Dion passed for 32 assists and had 23 digs, McGraw had 19 digs, and Durham had 11.  Lindstrom and Annika Moffett each had three block assists. 

In pre-game ceremonies, the Bruins bid farewell to four seniors playing their final match: Pickett, Morrison, Sheller, and Keimig.

George Fox ended its 27th season under head coach Steve Grant with a 12-14 overall record and tied for sixth in the conference with Pacific University at 6-10.  Willamette was 6-20 overall and placed eighth in the league at 4-12.