NEWBERG, Ore. — The George Fox volleyball team bounced back from a competitive three set loss to conference-leading Whitworth by sweeping Whitman in three sets Saturday night in their second straight match at Hadlock Student Center after a month and a half away from home. 

How it Happened
For the second consecutive night, the first set went into extra points, but this time the Bruins were able to pull off a 28-26 win. George Fox had leads of 13-5 and 18-11, but the Blues were able to battle back to tie the set at 22-22 and fought off three game points. Tied 26-26, Whitman finally blinked with a service error followed by an attack error giving Fox the 1-0 lead.
Set two was also close. Whitman had its first lead of the match early on, but the Bruins rallied to go up 11-9 with Piper Harrop contributing an ace and three points at the service line. Another three-point service rally with an ace from Sophia Lawrence gave the Bruins a 15-10 advantage, but the Blues would come back to regain the lead, scoring seven of the next eight points, while putting up a strong block. The lead would change hands two more times before the Bruins served out a 25-21 win with freshman setter Addison Hawes contributing two aces in a five-point run.
The Bruins never trailed in the final stanza, grabbing control with a five-point midgame rally that featured two Olivia Jacobsen kills, closing out a 25-17 finale by scoring the final four points. 
On a night where the numbers were pretty even, the Bruins' service game proved to be superior with seven aces in the match, compared to just two for Whitman.

Top Performers 
After getting her feet wet against a talented Whitworth squad Friday night, Hawes played a clean match with 36 assists to go with a team-high three service aces. Staton led the attack with 14 kills and two block assists. Bailey LeBreton added 10 kills and four block assists. Lawrence had 15 digs to go with three assists and an ace.
 
Coach's Thoughts
"Whitman really gave us a tough match," said head coach Emily Davis. "We had to work so hard for every point and I'm so proud we were able to win in the end. I wish them all the best with the rest of their season. We will get back in the gym on Monday to prepare for another tough weekend ahead."

What it Means
In all, it was a successful return home for the Bruins, who went toe-to-toe for two sets with the top team in the conference Friday night, before earning the Saturday sweep. When the Bruins next take the floor, it should be in the newly refurbished Miller Gymnasium. 

What's Next
Lewis & Clark comes to the Wheeler Sports Center Friday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m., followed by a Saturday tilt against Pacific Lutheran and 6 p.m.