Box Score

NEWBERG, Ore. - Rallying from a two-sets-to-none deficit, the George Fox University Bruins squeezed out three straight two-point nail-biters to pull off a 3-2 victory (21-25, 20-25, 25-23, 30-28, 16-14) over the visiting Whitworth University Pirates in a Northwest Conference women's volleyball match Friday night here at the Wheeler Sports Center's Miller Gym.

The Pirates appeared to be comfortably in control after taking the first two sets by pulling away late in each.  In the opener, neither team had more than a four-point lead at any time.  The Bruins took a three-point lead of 21-18 on a kill by Sarah Crossfield, but went scoreless the rest of the set as the Pirates reeled off seven unanswered points.  Tracy Schwada had two kills in the rally, including the clincher.

Set two was similar, with George Fox forging a 16-12 lead on a Whitworth service error before the Pirates out-scored the Bruins 13-4 the rest of the way.  Back-to-back kills by Ka'ipo Rocha put the Pirates ahead 18-17, and three consecutive spikes by twin sister Kaimi Rocha closed out the contest.

George Fox took quick control of set three, a service ace by Sarah Burkey giving the Bruins a 14-4 lead.  The Pirates battled back, however, going on an 18-9 run to close within one at 23-22 on a kill by Kaimi Rocha.  The Bruins' Jennifer Panico put one away to stem the tide, and after another kill by Kaimi Rocha, the Bruins picked up the winner on a setting error by the visitors.

Whitworth jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the fourth set and seemingly had the match sewed up after taking a 21-13 lead on three consecutive Bruin attack errors.  A 9-2 run, capped by a Panico kill, brought the Bruins within one at 23-22, but Nikki Bardwell's kill put the Pirates a point away from the match.  Panico's kill and a block by Natalie Pickett saved the Bruins, however, who then took the lead three times, only to have Whitworth respond with a winner each time.  A block by Holly Tomlin and Kaimi Rocha again gave Whitworth a chance to end it, leading 28-27, but back-to-back kills by Ashley Sheller and a Pirate attack error enabled the Bruins to force a deciding fifth set.

In the final set, Pickett and Lyndsay Hovee teamed up for a block on Kaimi Rocha that gave the Bruins a 13-9 lead, and another Sheller kill put the Bruins one point away from the win at 14-11.  Bardwell answered with three straight winners to knot it at 14-14, only to have Hovee and Kristin Knaupp each put down kills as the Bruins finished off the rousing comeback.

The closeness of the contest was evident in the final statistics.  The kills were even at 58-58, while the Pirates held a slight edge in hitting percentage, .118 to .104.  Whitworth was one up in digs, 99-98, and made 19 blocks to 12 for George Fox. 

Hovee led the Bruins with 13 kills, Panico had 11, and Sheller added 10.  Ali Lefebvre had 23 assists and Lani Rasmussen 22.  Sheller came up with 23 digs, Panico 22, Hovee 12, and Burkey 11.  Pickett contributed to six of the Bruins' blocks, Ashlie Keimig to five, and Hovee to four.

Kaimi Rocha paced the Pirates with 19 kills and Bardwell added 16.  Bree Riddle and Jordon Hoffnagle had 27 and 20 assists respectively.  Bethany Castilleja led all defenders with 25 digs, followed by Kaimi Rocha with 19, Tomlin with 12, and Bardwell with 10.  Tomlin was in on 10 blocks, while the Rocha twins had eight each.

George Fox (8-5, NWC 2-1) hosts Whitman College while Whitworth (8-7, NWC 1-2) goes to Pacific University Saturday, both matches starting at 5:00 p.m.