NEWBERG, Ore. – A record-setting night of blocking by both Ka'Ipo Rocha and her Whitworth University teammates enabled the visiting Pirates to rally from a 2-0 deficit against the upset-minded George Fox University Bruins for a 3-2 victory in Northwest Conference volleyball Friday night here at the Wheeler Sports Center's Miller Gym.

The Pirates had 19 blocks, a new team record,14 in the final three sets as they battled back for an 18-25, 21-25, 25-18, 25-20, 15-13 win.  Rocha had the only solo block and assisted on 12 others for 13 total blocks, establishing a new Whitworth individual mark.  The Bruins also had a good night at the net as they made nine blocks, led by one solo and six assisted by Tiffany Burk.

George Fox came out firing on all cylinders with a 6-0 run that featured two kills by Erin Campbell and two blocks by Burk, with an assist on one from Stephanie Kerr, to start the match and never looked back.  Whitworth came back within three points three times, the last at 13-10 on an Amanda Grumbach service ace, but the Bruins pulled away and took a 23-15 lead on an ace by Mackenzie Teigen before a kill by Kerr put the set away.

The Bruins likewise led the second set from start to finish, running off six unanswered points to build a 14-5 margin that the Pirates could not overcome.  The visitors again pulled back within three five times, including at 24-21, but Kerr once more salted the set away with a winner.

In the third set, it was the Pirates' turn to start quickly as they forged in front 5-0 on kills by Kaimi Rocha, Grumbach, and Kristine Kardell and an ace by Grumbach.  Back came the Bruins with a 6-0 run of their own on two kills by Kerr, one by Burk, and a surprise one by setter Teigen.  The score jockeyed back and forth from then on until the Pirates went on a 4-0 run to pull away to an insurmountable 19-14 advantage on a kill by Kaimi Rocha. 

The Pirates were at their blocking best in the fourth set, stuffing eight Bruin attacks while holding the home team to a minus -.235 hitting percentage.  Nevertheless, the Bruins were able to battle back from a 14-9 deficit to force deadlocks at 15-15 and 17-17, thought they were never able to take the lead.  Ahead only 22-20, the Pirates ended the set and evened the match with a kill by Grumbach, a block by Bree Riddle and Tori LaBrie, and a George Fox attack error.

In the fifth set, Whitworth took a quick 4-0 lead as Kaimi Rocha had two kills and a block with LaBrie, and upped it to 9-4 in another Kaimi Rocha winner.  Brooke Molloy came off the Bruin bench and had two kills, igniting a 9-5 run that brought the Bruins within a point at 14-13, but a final kill by Grumbach enabled the league-leading Pirates to survive.

With both teams blocking well, the hitting figures were not high, Whitworth at .084 (50-35-179) and George Fox at .064 (47-35-188).  The Pirates held a 90-85 edge in digs, while the Bruins had 10 aces to six for the visitors.

Kerr led the Bruins with 13 kills, and Burk, Campbell, and Betsy Wilhelm had eight apiece.  Teigen handed out a career-high 38 assists and had 18 digs, as did Patti Reeves.  Chelsea Wilson added 15 digs, Campbell 13, and Wilhelm 11.  Kerr also had four block assists.  Kylee Adderson served four aces and Teigen three.

Kaimi Rocha with 17 kills, Grumbach with 15, and Jalana White with nine paced the Pirates, and Riddle passed out 40 assists.   Grumbach and Kaimi Rocha had 20 dig, each, Whitney Santos added 18, Jordon Hoffnagle 16, and Riddle 11.  In addition to Ka'Ipo Rocha's record game, Kaimi Rocha and White had seven block assists each, and Riddle and LaBrie had four apiece.

NEXT: George Fox (7-11, NWC 2-7) hosts Whitman University at 5:00 p.m. Saturday ...  Whitworth (13-5, NWC 8-1) visits Pacific University at 7:00 p.m. Saturday.