Photo Taken By: Shelby Byerly

By: Alex Plusquellec

NEWBERG, Ore. --- The George Fox women's volleyball team played host to the Whitman Blues Friday night in a Northwest Conference showdown.

Recap:

Friday night's five-set battle started with a Danyle Dupray kill as the Bruins gained momentum early over the Blues. Laney Search's ace gave the Bruins an 8-2 lead and control over the first set.

The Blues gained ground after a quick 4-0 run to cut into the Bruin lead, but Ashtyn Butler and company quickly rattled off three straight kills to push the lead back up to 13-7.

Stacey Kozlowski's first kill of the match gave the Bruins a 20-13 lead late in the set and despite a final charge from Whitman, George Fox captured the set 25-21.

The second set belonged to the Blues from the beginning taking an 11-5 lead behind a flurry of kills. The Bruins couldn't seem to stop the Blues until a kill by Butler ended a long 8-1 run. That kill seemed to help the Bruins regather as they strung together a six point run of their own.

Trailing 20-13, a kill by Delaney Cruz helped get the Bruins within four, but Whitman shut the door quickly, taking the set 25-17.

The Blues were able to carry their momentum into third set, screaming out in front 13-4 over the Bruins. Cruz picked up two kills, but the Bruins were never able to find the rhythm needed to mount a comeback. Whitman dominated the set 25-14.

With their backs against the wall, the Bruins came out on fire in the fourth set. Butler, Dupray and Search headlined a furious 10-0 run to start the set and the Bruins continued to pour it on. Dupray and Butler continued their solid performance with multiple kills to extend the Bruins lead to 24-11 before Cruz put the finishing touches on a big momentum-swinging set. A 25-11 victory set up a deciding fifth set.

Butler and Dupray each picked up a kill early as the Bruins and Blues found themselves tied up at 3-3. As the two teams raced to be the first ones to 15, the Blues found their groove. Trailing 10-6, Butler's 15th kill of the night brought the Bruins to within three but it wasn't enough as Whitman claimed the road victory with a final set win, 15-8.

Top Performers:

Butler led the way for the Bruins with a career-high 15 kills, followed by Dupray with 11. Cruz and Search each added nine kills apiece, while Madison Ross racked up a team-high 24 assists.

What It Means:

The close loss brings the Bruins' record to 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the NWC.

What Comes Next:

The Bruins return to Wheeler Sports Center to take on the Whitworth Pirates Saturday, Sept. 30, at 3 p.m.