PORTLAND, Ore. – Despite a marked offensive superiority in kills, hitting percentage, and assists, the George Fox University Bruins were unable to put away the Lewis & Clark College Pioneers and dropped a 3-2 decision to the Pios in a Northwest Conference women's volleyball match Friday night here at the Pamplin Sports Complex.

The Pioneers scored a 13-25, 25-20, 25-22, 19-25, 15-11 victory in squaring the season series with the Bruins at 1-1.  George Fox defeated Lewis & Clark 3-1 in the Northwest Invitational Tournament in Portland back on Sept. 3, and the two will meet again on Oct. 21 for another conference clash.

The Bruins mashed 63 kills to only 38 for the Pios, out-hit the home team .134 to .033, and had a 59-37 advantage in assists.  George Fox also held an edge in defensive digs, 93-85, thought L&C managed an 11-9 margin in blocks.  Perhaps the telling blow was in service errors, where the Bruins committed 14 to only five for the Pios, eight of them in their second and third-set losses, and too often at inopportune times.

In the opening set, the Bruins jumped out to a fast 7-1 lead, but the Pios bounced back to tie it 8-8 on a kill by Margaret Dowling.  A Kylee Adderson kill broke the tie in favor of the Bruins, and they went on to build as much as a 10-point lead at 22-12 on an L&C attack error.  Two kills by Erin Campbell around a Cassie Irwin kill closed out the set for the Bruins, who out-hit the Pios .211 to minus -.158.

The Pios never trailed in the second set after taking an early 3-0 lead, though the Bruins stayed close and forged three ties at 15-15, 16-16, and 17-17.  The home team then used an 8-3 run to win the set and even the match, two kills by Kataleya Milan and two George Fox service errors playing key roles in the rally.

George Fox led most of the first half of the third set and was ahead 16-12 when the Pioneers got hot.  A block by Dowling and Brigitte Russo started the Pios' comeback, and they closed with a 6-1 run to win it after trailing 21-19.  Elena Hoff served five straight winning points in that stretch before the set ended on another Bruin service error.

Three kills by Kerr sparked an early run that gave the Bruins an 8-2 lead in the fourth set, and they were up 16-9 when the Pios ripped off seven unanswered points for a 16-16 tie.  After swapping points, Campbell put down a winner that gave George Fox the lead for good, and the Bruins used a 6-1 burst to end the set and even the match at 2-2.

In the deciding game, George Fox held a 7-4 lead following an Irwin kill, but could not hang on as Lewis & Clark rallied with an 11-4 run.  Holding a slim 12-11 lead after a Campbell kill had brought the Bruins within one, the Pioneers secured the match with a George Fox service error, a block by Alici Callejo-Black and Jennifer Dowdy, and a final spike by Callejo-Black.

Campbell led a trio of Bruins with double-digit kills, pounding down 22 along with 15 by Kerr and 11 by Irwin.  Mackenzie Teigen had 31 assists and Chelsea Wilson 19.  Patti Reeves made 30 digs, Campbell 24, and Teigen 11, while Tiffany Burk contributed to seven blocks and Kerr to five.

Milan was the only Pio in double-figure kills with 14, while Leia Matsunaga handed out 32 assists.  Hoff made 24 digs, Milan 18, Matsunaga 12, and Erika Page 11.  Russo was in on six blocks, with Milan and Callejo-Black on four each.

NEXT: George Fox (6-6, NWC 1-2) hosts 19th-ranked Pacific Lutheran University Saturday at 7:00 p.m.  The Lutes are 9-2 on the season, their only two losses to the 16th-ranked University of Puget Sound, which was stunned 3-1 at Pacific University Friday ... Lewis & Clark (5-8, NWC 1-2) welcomes Pacific Saturday at 7:00 p.m.