NEWBERG, Ore. - Although they became the first team to win a set from Pacific Lutheran University in Northwest Conference play this season, the George Fox University Bruins could not complete the upset and dropped a 3-1 decision (17-25, 25-16, 25-19, 25-17) to the 16th-ranked Lutes Saturday night here at the Wheeler Sports Center's Miller Gym.

With a noisy crowd of over 600 behind them, the Bruins became the first NWC team to win a set from the Lutes by hitting a robust .360 in the opening set, with 13 kills and only four errors, while holding the conference's best-hitting team to a .033 percentage on eight kills and seven errors.  The Bruins jumped ahead 4-0 with kills by Eliza Pledger, Sarah Crossfield, and Lyndsay Hovee, and stayed ahead until the Lutes put together a 4-0 run to take their only lead of the set at 14-13, Kelsie Moore's second ace of the series putting PLU on top. 

A kill by Hovee and a PLU attack error gave the Bruins the lead again, but Katy Tauscher forged a 15-15 tie for the Lutes with a winning attack.  The Bruins then exploded for six unanswered points behind the serving of Lani Rasmussen, with Kaitlyn Maddams recording two kills in the run.  After a kill by Erin Bremond momentarily slowed the Bruins, the home team closed out the set with four straight points, the last an ace by Hovee.

George Fox scored the first two points of the second set on a block by Crossfield and Pledger and a Crossfield kill, but the Lutes rebounded with a 5-1 run featuring three kills by All-American Beth Hanna and never trailed again.  The Bruins climbed within three at 14-11 on a kill by Maddams, but the Lutes out-scored them 11-5 to pull away.  PLU hit .379 with 14 kills and only three errors while limiting George Fox to a .069 mark on nine kills and seven errors.

The Bruins again scored the first two points of the third set, but the Lutes collected 19 kills and hit .256 to .105 for the Bruins before it was over.  Moore led the way with eight kills as the Lutes built up a 10-point lead of 24-14.  The Bruins made it respectable with five straight points, including a kill and an ace by Maddams, before Moore's final kill secured the set and a 2-1 lead for the Lutes.

Two kills each by Pledger and Hovee put the Bruins on top 5-1 in the fourth set, but the Lutes battled back to force ties at 8-8, 9-9, 10-10,and 11-11.  Three Bruin attack errors, one on a block by Hanna and Kelcy Joynt, enabled PLU to take the lead for good.  A winner by Hovee brought the Bruins within one at 15-14, but PLU closed out the set and the match with a 10-3 run.

Hovee had 13 kills and Maddams 10 to lead the Bruins offensively, while Ali Toedtemeier had 23 assists and Rasmussen 12.  Jennifer Panico had 14 digs, Hovee 12, and Carley Johnson 10 on defense.  The Bruins had seven blocks, Pledger contributing two solos and four block assists. 

Moore topped PLU with 14 kills while hitting .393, and Hanna and Bremond added 11 each.  Sarah Beaver passed out 43 assists.  Hanna and Blair Bjorkman made 13 digs and Brenna Archibald 11.  The Lutes recorded 6.5 blocks, Bremond leading the way with four block assists. 

The loss snapped the Bruins' nine-game winning streak, their longest since a 20-game stretch in 1998, and extended the Lutes' winning string to 10 in a row.  George Fox is second in the conference at 7-3 and is now 14-4 overall, while league-leading Pacific Lutheran is 14-5 overall and 10-0 in the league. 

George Fox visits Whitworth University Friday for a 7:00 p.m. game.  Pacific Lutheran hosts the 22nd-ranked University of Puget Sound Wednesday, also at 7:00 p.m.