TACOMA, Wash. -- After an action-packed first set saw the George Fox Volleyball team win, 30-28, the Puget Sound Loggers fought back to eventually down the Bruins in the fifth set.

How It Happened
UPS opened with five straight points in the first set and at one point led by as many as six multiple times in the frame. Fox found themselves down 18-13 before three kills in a row – two by Emily Blagg – started a GFU surge. George Fox tied the game at 19, then alternated points until the Loggers had the match point serve at 24-22. Fox battled once more, scoring three in a row and taking a 25-24 lead. Fox took the set at the 30th point on a Kennedy Kibby serve, giving Fox a 1-0 lead in the match. 

Fox jumped to an early 4-1 lead in the next set, as the momentum from the wild ending of the first frame seemed to carry over. UPS righted the ship however, eventually pulling the Bruins into a neck-and-neck battle for the lead. Puget Sound would take a 20-16 lead later on in the set, forcing the Bruins to mount another late comeback. Fox would get within a point, but UPS won three rallies in a row to close out the set and tie the match, 1-1. UPS would use that energy in the third set, as they dominated the Bruins 25-16, putting Fox behind, 2-1. 

The fourth set was all Bruins, as they boasted a hit percentage of .301, and won the set 25-20. The frame started back-and-forth, with neither team able to take an edge before the Bruins went on a 7-4 run that featured two kills from Gracie Bearden and ended with Fox being up 17-12. Fox would use that five-point lead to take the set, 25-20, forcing a fifth set. The fifth set, however, was not Fox's best, as the Loggers were able to beat them with a flurry of strong serves and kills as they took the final frame, 15-9. 

Top Performances
Kassandra Staton led the team with 28 digs, and Piper Harrop followed with 26 of her own. Staton also led the team in kills, with 13.

Coach's Thoughts
"It's always a fun matchup playing against Puget Sound, and tonight did not disappoint," Bruin head coach Emily Davis said, "We fought through some lineup changes, and new players on the court. I'm proud of our serve receivers for working super hard and I'm looking forward to the next match up with UPS."

What It Means
The Bruins fall to 5-3, and lose their first game in conference play, while the Loggers improve to 9-1 (2-0 NWC). 

What Comes Next
The Bruins are back at it again on the 22nd, playing at home against conference foe Whitman; the game is schedule to start at 7 p.m.