By: Alex Plusquellec

NEWBERG, Ore. ---The George Fox women's volleyball team took down the Lewis and Clark Pioneers in a wild five set match Friday night.

Recap:
In the first set, the Bruins and Pioneers went back and forth, neither team able to capture more than a two point advantage. A kill by Erin Sprowls and an ace Delaney Cruz got the Bruins going early, but the Pioneers hung tough. Down 15-13, the Bruins got a kill from Amy Massingale that sparked a 5-1 run to give the home team an 18-16 advantage. The Pioneers battled back to tie the Bruins at 20-20, and the two teams exchanged points to a 24-24 tie. After an error by Lewis and Clark, an ace by Sprowls sealed set one for the Bruins, 26-24.

The Pioneers bounced back in set two, taking control after a back and forth start. A couple kills from Danyle Dupray and another kill from Massingale got the Bruins within four at 18-14, but the Pioneers finished the set on a 7-4 run to pull away the Bruins and take set two, 25-18.

Set three saw more of the same, as the Pioneers jumped out to a 14-6 lead. A couple kills from Cruz and two bad sets from the Pioneers got the Bruins within four, 16-12. From there, the Pioneers took over, finishing off the Bruins, 25-17. 

With their backs against the wall, the Bruins came out fighting in the fourth set. Multiple Bruins tallied kills, as Dupray, Massingale, Sprowls and Sarah Davies led George Fox to an early 12-4 lead. After a short rally by the Pioneers cut the lead to 14-9, the Bruins caught fire again, going on a 7-0 run led by kills from Dupray and Sprowls. With the score at 21-10, Sprowls added two more kills and Davies added one more as the Bruins forced a fifth set, winning 25-13. 

Neither team gained control early in set five as both teams raced to be the first to 15 points. Down 9-8, it was Cruz and Sprowls that pushed the Bruins to 12-11 lead. A big kill by Abby MacGregor gave the Bruins a two point advantage, 13-11, and Sprowls' 11th kill of the night gave the Bruins a 15-14 advantage. Serving match point, it was Hanna Kumasaka who came up with the biggest point of the night: an ace to capture set five and cap off a comeback win for the Bruins.

Top Performers:
In a total team effort, it was Dupray and Cruz who led the Bruins with 12 kills apiece. Sprowls tacked on 11 big kills of her own, and Kelsea Meyers was stellar defensively with 19 digs.

What It Means:
The Bruins picked up their second conference win in their first five set match of the season. 

What's Next:
The Bruins will travel to Pacific Lutheran to take on the Lutes Saturday night at 5 p.m.