NEWBERG, Ore. --- George Fox capped its 2021 fall season with a four-set win against Linfield in Miller Gymnasium on Saturday, Nov. 6.
How It Happened
The Bruins cruised to a 25-15 win in set one to set the bar for the evening. Fox outhit the 'Cats .200 to .102 as a team in the set and worked their way out to a 10-point advantage by the end of the opener.
The 'Cats tied the match at 1-1 after returning the favor in set two. Linfield built an early lead they never relinquished and took advantage of Bruin miscues and free points to split the sets with a 25-16 win in set two.
With the match locked at 1-1, Linfield kept its momentum rolling into the third set and built another early lead, 8-5, before Fox responded to try and close the gap. Kills from Kassandra Staton and Olivia Jacobsen closed the distance and forced a Linfield timeout at 13-12, 'Cats leading. The two sides battled the rest of the way, but Fox ultimately prevailed with a 26-24 win to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
After taking the best shot Linfield had to offer in set three, the Bruins rolled through the final set with the momentum built in their set-three comeback. Fox held the 'Cats to a -.075 attack rate in the finale and cruised to a bookend result of 25-15, identical to set one's end result.
Top Performances
Staton racked up another double-double with a team-high 13 kills and 18 digs, while Sophia Lawrence led the team with 27 digs in her last match as a Bruin.Â
Coach's Thoughts
"I'm very proud of our team, even though tonight wasn't perfect they worked hard to overcome the things that weren't going well," coach Emily Davis said after the match. "Congrats to Linfield on playing a great match."
What It Means
George Fox finishes with a winning record of 12-9 and a fourth place finish in the NWC standings with a .500 record of 8-8.
The Bruins say goodbye to the most accomplished libero in program history, as Lawrence leaves the team with the all-time digs record and Libero of the Year honors on her resume. They'll also need to replace the leadership and passing offered by Sophia Davies on the back line next season.
