NEWBERG, Ore. - After hitting a torrid .303 in the first set to stun the University of Puget Sound, the George Fox University Bruins could not keep up the pace in the next three sets and dropped a 3-1 decision to the visiting Loggers in Northwest Conference women's volleyball action Friday night here at the Wheeler Sports Center's Miller Gym.

Puget Sound, which was held to an .071 hitting percentage in the first set, bounced back to take the match 12-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-17.  Over the final three sets, the Loggers out-hit the home team .252 to .050. 

Led by freshman middle Isabel Valentine, who had five kills and a .714 hitting percentage, the Bruins took the first set with a 14-2 explosion to close out the game. The Bruins got the ball on a service error that gave them a 16-11 lead, and Patti Reeves then served eight consecutive winning points that featured two kills by Valentine and three by Betsy Wilhelm.  Another Valentine winner closed out the set.

Set two saw eight ties early on before the Loggers broke a 9-9 deadlock on a kill by Jaime Ecklund and remained ahead the rest of the way.  The Bruins stayed close and were only down by one at 15-16 when the Loggers scored four unanswered points to pull away.  A kill by Brynn Blickenstaff ended the set to even the match.

George Fox led for over half of the third set and took an 18-12 lead before Puget Sound finally got rolling.  Consecutive kills by Jordan Bird sparked a 6-0 Logger run that tied the set 18-18.  After ties at 20-20, 21-21, and 22-22, the Loggers completed the comeback with kills by Natalie Monro and Ecklund around a Bruin set error.

Puget Sound took control quickly in the fourth set, jumping out to a 5-1 lead behind three Blickenstaff kills.  The Loggers took their first double-digit lead at 16-6 on a spike by Monro, and twice took 11-point leads, the last at 23-12 on a block by Molly Gibson and Bird.  Monro sealed the win with one final kill.

Valentine posted 13 kills, hit .524, and made three blocks to lead the Bruins, while Wilhelm added 12 kills and Ali Toedtemeier passed out 41 assists.  Reeves led the defense with 22 digs, and got help from Toedtemeier with 14, Wilhelm with 11, and Chelsea Wilson with 10. 

Monro led all hitters with 15 kills for the Loggers, Blickenstaff added 12 while hitting .407, and Bird contributed 10.  Erika Greene had 42 assists and made 10 digs, while Juliette Witous led all defenders with 25 digs.  The Loggers posted 10 team blocks, with Gibson and Bird each having five block assists.

The injury bug continued to bite the Bruins as starting right-side hitter Stephanie Kerr went down in the first set with an ankle injury after making three kills in four attempts, came back briefly in the second set, and then sat the rest of the way.  The Bruins lost starting outside hitter Carley Johnson two matches into the season, and All-NWC middle blocker Eliza Pledger has missed the last three matches with recurring back problems that could sideline her indefinitely.

NEXT: George Fox (6-9, NWC 1-4) hosts league-leading Pacific Lutheran University Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ... Puget Sound (9-4, NWC 4-1) visits Lewis & Clark College Saturday at 7:00 p.m.