Photo Taken By: Jake Ryan

By: Riley Bushnell

NEWBERG, Ore. --- Led by a bonkers night from Payton Shrum with 46 assists, 11 digs and a kill, the George Fox volleyball squad flexed their muscles firm against Willamette University. Unfortunately, though, the Bruins would fall in a hard hitting match to the Bearcats.

Recap:
The Bearcats came out of the gates swinging, soaring to a 7-1 lead in the first set. The Bruins regrouprf, knotting the set 18-18, but due largely to the fantastic play of Lindsey Compton of Willamette, 7 out of the last 8 points of the set went in favor of the Bearcats. The second set yielded a different result, ending in a 26-24 George Fox advantage, capped by two crucial kills courtesy of Erin Sprowls. The turning point in the game came in the preceding set, with Willamette taking control and eventually downing the Bruins 25-14. George Fox took the lead 16-14 in the fourth set but Compton put the game away with three straight kills and a shared block, ending in a 25-22 Willamette victory.

Top performers:
As previously mentioned, Shrum notched a huge 46 assist night, a season record for the senior setter. Junior middle blocker Erin Sprowls led the team with 18 kills. Sophomore outside hitter Delaney Cruz provided a nice complement to Sprowls 18 kills with 14 of her own along with a team-leading .364 kill percentage.

What's next:
George Fox takes a trip to Eastern Washington next weekend, visiting Walla Walla to face off with Whitman on Friday, then head north to face the Pirates of Whitworth in Spokane on Saturday.