Photo Taken By: Jake Ryan

By: Ryan Lackey

NEWBERG, Ore. --- The Bruins put together a complete performance in their 3-1 win over Whitman on Saturday night that saw very narrow margins of victory through the last three sets. Starting quickly, the Bruins took the first, 25-17, before outlasting Whitman in the second, 25-21. The Missionaries rebounded to take the third set by the same score, but the Bruins eked out a 26-24 victory in the fourth set to take the match.

Recap:
In the first set, Danyle Dupray's kill to give the Bruins a 9-7 lead ended up the turning point. From that point on, the Bruins seemed to have the set well in hand, and Whitman appeared overmatched. The Bruins held a 20-12 lead before finishing the set at 25-17.

The second set was harder fought. Despite defending an 18-12 lead, the Bruins saw Whitman climb back and keep the score close. Two Erin Sprowls kills sealed the set for the Bruins, 25-21.

Unlike the opening two sets, Whitman held the lead throughout most of the third. The Bruins were just a point down at 14-15 when Cruz and Erin Dillinger made a good block, and when Whitman pulled ahead again, a smashing kill from Sprowls made the score 21-23. Whitman, though, saw the set out to extend the match.

The fourth set was also Whitman-dominated for large sections. After falling behind 13-5, the Bruins made a slow comeback that apexed when Shrum set up Sprowls perfectly for a precise kill, leveling the score at 18-18. With the score knotted at 23-23, Whitman scored to claim a chance at set point, but Dupray rocketed home a Shrum assist to tie the score at 24. From there, a Whitman error and Sprowls kill gave the Bruins the match.

Top Performers:
Though Danyle Dupray's 13 kills led the team, Delaney Cruz was the Bruins' lynchpin, contributing 12 kills of her own and hitting at a .306 percentage. Cassidy Scott contributed eight kills of her own and recorded an even higher .318 mark. The ever-consistent Erin Sprowls notched eleven kills.

Defensively, the Bruins were dogged and tireless, recording 16 team blocks to Whitman's five. Both Acarey Rosa and Kelsea Meyers made over 20 digs apiece. Payton Shrum had another sparkling performance, tallying 46 assists and three kills; she made no recorded errors.

What Comes Next:
The win moves the Bruins up to 6-14 and 3-9 in the Northwest Conference. Next Friday, the Bruins travel to Puget Sound with a chance at two wins in a row.