NEWBERG, Ore. – Down by seven late in the first set, the nationally-ranked University of Puget Sound Loggers fought back against a feisty George Fox University team and finally pulled out a 3-0 win (30-28, 25-18, 25-20) over the Bruins in Northwest Conference women's volleyball Friday night here at the Wheeler Sports Center's Miller Gym.

George Fox, behind six kills from Lucy Capron and five from Erin Campbell, had the No. 10 Loggers on the ropes in the first set.  After falling behind 6-4, the Bruins went on a 9-0 run featuring three services by Cassie Irwin to built a 13-6 lead.  After the Loggers closed within three at 15-12 on a winner by Nicolette Reynaud, three kills by Capron fueled a 4-0 run that put the home team up by seven again at 20-13.  The visitors rallied with a 10-3 spurt, knotting the score 23-23 on a Bruin attack error. 

Twice the Bruins went up by one with a chance to win the set, but an attack error and a blocking error allowed the Loggers to stay alive.  Puget Sound then took the lead three straight times, only to have the Bruins battle back to extend the set each time on two Capron kills and one by Campbell.  A George Fox service error and a service ace by Christina Chun finally secured the set for the Loggers.

George Fox jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the second set behind kills by Irwin, Tiffany Burk and Capron, but a 5-0 UPS run, sparked by three consecutive Marissa Florant spikes, gave the Loggers a 9-7 lead.  The Bruins tied it at 11-11, 12-12, 13-13, and 14-14 before the Loggers took the lead for good on a kill by Kristin Best, starting an 11-4 run to close out the set.  The Loggers ran off five in a row to move from a 19-17 lead to 24-17 before Jackie Harvey, the conference leader in kills and hitting percentage, finally ended it with a kill, capping a sensational hitting game (.469, 16-1-32) for UPS. 

Harvey had three kills and Florant a pair as the Loggers burst out to a 10-1 lead in the third set.  Campbell ended the run with an emphatic winner, and the Bruins fought back within four three times, the last at 23-19 on a service ace by Kylee Adderson.  However, the Loggers ended the suspense by taking two of the next three points on a bad Bruin set and an attack error.

The Loggers finished with a .218 attack percentage (.218, 39-13-119) to .133 (39-20-143) for the Bruins.  UPS made seven blocks to three for George Fox, held a 70-65 edge in digs, and made nine service aces to five for the Bruins.

Campbell led all hitters with 14 kills for the Bruins, while Capron added eight before going out early in the third set following a crash into a bench chair while trying to make a save.  Payton Shrum handed out 23 assists and Chelsea Brustad had 10.  Chelsea Wilson led the defense with 21 digs, with Capron adding 12 and Campbell 10.  Irwin had the three aces and Burk had two block assists.

Harvey paced Puget Sound with 12 kills and Florant contributed eight.  Jenni Brehove handed out 36 assists.  Florant led the defense with 15 digs, followed by Harvey with 13, Chun with 12, and Brehove with 11.  Reynaud had four blocks (two solo), while Brehove also served three aces.

NEXT: George Fox (3-6, NWC 1-2) plays the second of five straight home matches Saturday against Linfield College at 7:00 p.m. ... Puget Sound (8-2, NWC 3-0) visits Pacific University Saturday at 7:00 in a battle of teams who are undefeated in conference play.