Newberg, Ore. -- George Fox played the Puget Sound Loggers in Tacoma, Wash., winning in five sets. Their first win at Puget Sound since 2019.

How It Happened
George Fox narrowly won the first set 25-23, outhitting the Loggers .082 to .054. The back-and-forth frame saw both sides holding slim leads intermittently. The Bruins added 13 kills to the set, holding the Logger's defense to zero blocks while the Bruins defense slowed the usually potent Loggers to win the set.

The Loggers offense jumped out early in the second set, going up 10-3. The Bruins hung around and made the set more competitive than the score would suggest, with the final being 25-19 in favor of Puget Sound. Bailey LeBreton and Kassandra Staton had 14 kills between the two of them in the set, Lebreton had a .538 hit percentage in the set.

George Fox's offense returned in full force in the third, leading 11-8 at the first timeout before jumping out to a seven-point advantage. The Loggers drew within two before Fox closed it out, 25-21. George Fox hit well in the set, hitting .241 compared to .143 the set before.

Both sides understood the importance of the fourth set, with the frame staying tight the whole way through. The Bruins, down 22-24, came back to force it past 25 points, but the Loggers were able to put the final two points together, giving them the set, 26-24. 

The Loggers pounced in front during the tie-breaker set, leading 10-6, but Fox battled back to tie the game at 11. Staton had a key ace to give the Bruins a 13-12 lead. At the next point, Taylor Dekoning had a massive kill to push the Bruins to the game point. The Bruins won the set two points later, giving them the five-set win.

Top Performances 
Staton had a double-double with 16 kills and 19 digs, Piper Harrop led the team with 39 digs, and Bailey LeBreton had a .313 hit percentage.

Coach's Thoughts
"Tonight was such a tough fight," Bruin head coach Emily Davis said, "Both of us played below where we normally do offensively, but our defense played so tough. Really proud of Piper, 39 digs is impressive. We came out with the win tonight, but every match is important this year more than ever, so we need to rest up and be ready for tomorrow."

What It Means
The Bruins are now tied for second in the conference with the Loggers, sitting at 10-8 (7-4 NWC), and the Loggers slip to 10-9 (7-4 NWC).

What Comes Next
Fox return to Oregon next, playing Linfield in McMinnville, Ore. tomorrow at 6:00 pm.