NEWBERG, Ore. – Unable to finish what they started, the George Fox University Bruins surrendered a two-sets-to-none lead and an early edge in the fifth set to the Linfield College Wildcats, who made off with a 3-2 Northwest Conference volleyball win and spoiled the Bruins' Homecoming match Saturday night here at the Wheeler Sports Center's Miller Gym.

Kailana Ritte-Camara led the Wildcats to the 19-25, 18-25, 25-20, 25-19, 15-8 victory by hammering a match-high 16 kills, including a remarkable 10 in the third set that sparked the Linfield comeback.  Her big night offset a 15-kills performance by the Bruins' Stephanie Kerr, who also had that many the night before at the University of Puget Sound.

In the opening set, Kerr had four kills and the Bruins held the Wildcats to a .000 hitting percentage in cruising to the win.  After three early ties, the Bruins broke a 5-5 deadlock on a winner by Cassie Irwin, and built their largest lead at 17-10 on a block by Kerr and Ameena Bossier.  A kill by Tiffany Burk, who hit three winners in as many tries, closed out the set.

The Bruins hit a fine .314 (13 kills and only two errors), led by four kills from Irwin, in taking the second set.  The Bruins jumped out to a 3-0 lead behind two aces by Mackenzie Teigen and never trailed.  Linfield closed within one point six times, the last at 14-13 on a Kelsey Ludin kill, but the Bruins finished on an 11-5 run to seal the victory, capped by a Brooke Molloy winner.

In the third set, the Wildcats took a 13-8 lead after an ace by Audrey Frazier, but the Bruins rallied to go up 17-15 and appeared on their way to closing out the match.  Linfield began its comeback at that point, however, as Ritte-Camara slammed four winners in a 6-0 run to give the Wildcats a 21-17 lead.  Leimomi Hookano had three kills for each of the Wildcats' last three points to take their first set of the night.

Despite hitting only .000 in the fourth set, the Wildcats held the Bruins to a minus -.054 percentage and coasted to the match-evening win.  The Bruins fell behind 6-3 on three consecutive attack errors (one a block by Ludin and Frazier), and eventually saw their deficit climb to 21-11 following an ace by Ritte-Camara and three unforced hitting errors.  Erin Campbell had three kills in an 8-2 Bruin run that made the score more respectable, but it was too little, too late.

Two more kills and an ace by Campbell enabled the Bruins to build a 5-3 lead in the final set before the Wildcats exploded for a 12-3 run to clinch the match.  The Bruins were their own worst enemy in the final stanza as they committed nine attack errors, five of them unforced.  The final nail was hammered into the Bruins' coffin by Victoria Thompson.

Irwin joined Kerr in the Bruins' offense with 10 kills and led the team with a .267 hitting percentage.  Teigen passed out 23 assists and Chelsea Wilson 20.  Patti Reeves led all defenders with 24 digs, while Wilson added 12, Teigen 11, and Molloy 10.  Burk had two solo blocks and two block assists.

Ritte-Camara was helped on offense for the Wildcats by Ludin, Thompson, and Hookano, who had 10 kills apiece.  Frazier controlled the Linfield attack with 43 assists.  Samantha Lau had 23 digs, Ritte-Camara 17, Courtney Wanamaker 13, and Frazier 11.  Thompson had six block assists and Frazier four.

NEXT: George Fox (7-10, NWC 2-6) plays the second of four straight games at home Friday against league-leading and 21st-ranked Whitworth University at 7:00 p.m. ... Linfield (8-9, NWC 3-5) hosts Willamette University Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.