By Seth Preuss

TACOMA --- George Fox women's volleyball is on the road this weekend for a pair of matches and opened against the top-ranked Lutes of Pacific Lutheran. The Bruins fought hard and stole a set from their hosts before falling in four sets on the road.

Recap

The Bruins got off to a hot start in set one with an early 8-5 lead, but the Lutes fought their way back to tie the opener at 9-9. The run continued to the end of the set as the Lutes rolled to a 25-15 win in the opening set.

The momentum stayed with PLU in set two as the Lutes opened up with a large lead and never looked back, cruising to a 25-16 win in set two for a 2-0 lead in the match.

The Bruins didn't roll over in the third set and showed heart to the end. The Bruins kept fighting back through 12 ties in the third set alone and produced a final push to take set three, 26-24, after a kill from Laney Search gave the Bruins the lead for good.

The Bruins tried to carry that energy into the fourth set, but the Lutes were able to hold off any further Fox rallies for a 25-15 win in set four to end the night.

Top Performers

Liv Alexander led the Bruins with nine kills while Laney Search played another well-rounded match with seven kills, 18 digs, and 10 assists. Sophia Lawrence led her team with 22 digs, while Emily Carson was just behind with 17 herself. Madison Ross dished a team-high 13 assists and Alyssa Burch tallied four blocks to lead the Bruins.

What It Means

The Bruins are now 1-6 against Northwest Conference opponents and are one game under .500 at 7-8 as they enter the final third of the regular season.

What Happens Next

The Bruins travel to Salem on Saturday, Oct. 6, for a match against Willamette at 7:00 pm.