WALLA WALLA, Wash. - Bolstered by a 22-dig differential on defense, the George Fox University Bruins picked up their first Northwest Conference women's volleyball win of the 2010 season with a 3-1 victory over the Whitman College Missionaries Friday night here at the Sherwood Center's George Ball Court.

George Fox made 79 digs to 57 for Whitman in their 15-25, 25-17, 25-17, 25-22 win, with NWC digs leader Patti Reeves leading the way with a match-high 20.  Chipping in were Betsy Wilhelm with 14, Jenna Dohren with 12, and Ali Toedtemeier with 10. 

That extra defense made the difference on a night when the Bruins were without top middle blocker Eliza Pledger, who missed the trip due to recurring back problems.  The Bruins still came up with eight blocks in the match, including six block assists by Stephanie Kerr, who stepped into the hole left by Pledger.  Isabel Valentine and Cassie Irwin added four block assists to the effort.    

Whitman's defense was strong in the first set as the Missionaries held the Bruins to only seven kills and a minus-.075 hitting percentage.  The home team broke a 7-7 tie with seven unanswered points, fueled by a pair of kills by Jillian Davis and two blocks by Maddy Bell and Olivia Nielson, and cruised to victory.

The Bruins bounced back, however, and held Whitman to negative hitting percentages (-.061 and -.026) in each of the next two sets.  The second set featured 11 ties before George Fox broke a 16-16 deadlock on a block by Kerr and Valentine.  The Bruins then took off on an 8-1 run to end the set, Betsy Wilhelm beginning and ending that stretch with kills at each end.

In the third set, the Bruins used a six-point run midway through to go from a 10-9 deficit to a 15-10 lead and never trailed again.  A block by Kerr and Valentine and two more winners by Wilhelm finished out the set.

After five ties early in the fourth set, the Bruins went ahead for good 7-6 on a kill by Irwin and eventually stretched their lead to seven at 19-12 on a block by Valentine and Toedtemeier.  The Missionaries mounted a furious comeback at that point and cut the lead to one three times,  at 20-19, 22-21, and 23-22.  Irwin and Kerr answered the charge by completing the Bruin victory with winners on the final two points.

Wilhelm led the Bruin offense, which hit .099 (44-30-142), with 14 kills, while Valentine added nine and Amanda White eight.  Toedtemeier had 34 assists. 

Davis with 14 kills and Courtney Brewer with 10 topped the Missionaries, who hit .060 (36-27-150).  Taylor Aschenbrenner had 33 assists.  On defense, Davis had 18 digs and Hannah Holloran 11.  Whitman made 10 team blocks, with Nielson contributing eight blocks assists and Bell five.

NEXT: George Fox (6-7, NWC 1-2) continues its eastern Washington swing Saturday at 6:00 p.m. at Whitworth University ... Whitman (3-9, NWC 0-4) is off until next Friday, when the Missionaries will visit Linfield College for a 7:00 p.m. match.