NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox volleyball team faced Whitworth on Saturday afternoon in a battle of Northwest Conference leaders – both teams entered the game with a 4-1 NWC mark. Though the Bruins battled hard throughout the game, they fell in four sets to the Pirates.

How It Happened
The game began with several runs from both teams in a back-and-forth first set. Fox jumped out to a 10-8 lead thanks to a five-point run, but the Pirates countered with a five-point run of their own to take a 13-8 lead. Ultimately, 18 kills from Whitworth led to a 25-20 set victory for the Pirates.

The second set began with more of the same, with Fox again shooting out to a 10-8 lead. This time, though, neither team could strangle momentum away from the other — the second set saw the teams alternate points for eight consecutive serves. A service ace from Whitworth finally put a stop to the trend, giving the Pirates a 25-23 victory.

After dropping the first two sets, the third belonged to George Fox. Addison Robertson came alive for the Bruins, totaling six kills in the set and the final four of the set. Fox took a commanding 18-9 lead and held off a charging Pirate team — a kill from Robertson put any comeback hopes to rest in the Bruins' 25-23 third-set win.

Looking to stay alive, the Bruins hung close at the start of the fourth set. Six straight points from the Pirates transformed a 16-15 game into a 22-15 game, and the Bruins dropped only their second conference game of the year, falling in the final set, 25-17.

Top Performances
Robertson totaled a season-high 16 kills to lead the Bruins, while Kassandra Staton had 12. Piper Harrop totaled 25 digs on the afternoon while chipping in two additional service aces as well. Kennedy Kibby led the way with 24 assists for Fox.

Coach's Thoughts
"Playing Whitworth is always a fun match-up," said Bruin head coach Emily Davis, "I wish we would have been able to implement more of our scouting report, but I'm looking forward to continuing to practice and compete this season."

What It Means
With the loss, the Bruins fall to a 7-6 overall mark, with a 4-2 record in the NWC. Whitworth now sits at the top of the conference with a 5-1 conference record.

What Happens Next
The Bruins will be on the road for the first time in two weeks as they travel to Tacoma to take on the Pacific Lutheran Lutes on Saturday, October 8.