NEWBERG, Ore. – Led by a double-double of 14 kills and a career-high 10 blocks from Tiffany Burk, the George Fox University Bruins captured a nail-biting 3-1 win (25-22, 24-26, 25-21, 27-25) over the Linfield College Wildcats in a Northwest Conference women's volleyball match Saturday night here at the Wheeler Sports Center's Miller Gym.

In the first set, the Wildcats broke an early 4-4 tie on a kill by Newberg native Victoria Thompson and went on to build as much as a six-point lead twice, the last at 18-12 following a winning attack by Leimomi Hookano.  A combo block by Erin Campbell and Kylee Adderson started the Bruins on a comeback, and Adderson served seven straight winning points that included two aces, along with a kill and a block by Burk, that sparked the home team to a 22-19 lead.  Another kill and block by Burk gave the Bruins two more points before the set ended with a Linfield attack error.

Linfield again jumped out early to a 9-5 lead as Courtney Wanamaker served five winning points in a row for the 'Cats.  A 9-2 Bruin outburst, capped by four winning points served by Adderson that included another ace plus a kill and a block yet again by Burk, put the Bruins in front 14-11.  George Fox was up 20-16 after a service ace by Cassie Irwin, but the Wildcats rallied to tie it 22-22 on a kill by Kailana Ritte-Camara.  Consecutive winners by Ritte-Camara gave Linfield a 24-23 lead, but a spike by Burk knotted it again.  A Bruin service error and a block by Thompson and Shayli Coppock secured the Wildcats' win.

George Fox never trailed in the third set after taking a 4-0 lead, but could never put the persistent Wildcats completely away.  The Bruins twice took six-point leads at 9-3 and 11-5 on service aces by Irwin and Campbell, only to have the 'Cats climb back to a 15-15 tie on a Bruin attack error.  A winner by Irwin put the home team back in front, and they eventually built the lead to five at 24-19 on a kill by Adderson, who also hit the clinching point.

The fourth set was nip-and-tuck as there were 15 ties, six lead changes, and no lead larger than three points, which the Wildcats achieved three times, the last at 18-15 following a Bruin hitting miscue.  A tandem block by Burk and Payton Shrum and a solo block by Burk made it 20-19 Bruins, but the Wildcats regained the advantage at 22-20 on a kill by Ritte-Camara.  Brooke Molloy, Burk and Campbell scored three straight winners for the Bruins before another Ritte-Camara smash knotted it 23-23.  Twice the Bruins took one-point leads on a kill by Campbell and a block by Irwin and Burk, only to allow Linfield back in it due to a service error and an attack error.  A Linfield mishit gave the Bruins a 26-25 lead, and Campbell salted the match away with a final kill.

Defense was the name of the game for the Bruins as they held the Wildcats to a .064 hitting percentage (47-35-187), largely due to 14 team blocks.  The Bruins managed a .116 percentage (48-28-173) and served 10 aces, but also struggled with 12 service errors.  George Fox came up with 91 digs while Linfield dug 90.

Burk tallied 14 kills with only three errors in 29 attempts, a .379 hitting percentage, and collected four solo blocks and six block assists.  Campbell added 12 kills and Irwin 10, and Shrum had a career-high 43 assists.  Chelsea Wilson had a game-high 34 digs, Shrum added 18, and Irwin and Campbell had 12 each.  Adderson served four aces and had four block assists, while Irwin and Campbell were in on three blocks apiece. 

Ritte-Camara was the only Wildcat in double figures in kills with 15, while Audrey Frazier handed out 23 assists and Mahina Galletes 12.  Wanamaker made 20 digs, Courtney Uyeda 16, Ritte-Camara 14, Frazier 13, and Bethany Dickey 12.  Thompson was in on four of Linfield's five blocks.

NEXT: George Fox (4-6, NWC 2-2) plays the middle of a five-game home stand Thursday, a non-conference match against 16th-ranked Colorado College at 7:00 p.m. ... Linfield (7-4, NWC 2-2) goes to Pacific University for a conference clash Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.