NEWBERG, Ore. – After winning by wide margins in the first two sets, The George Fox volleyball team fell behind in set number three against the Whitman Blues, before storming back to win the game and finish the match with a sweep.

How It Happened
The Bruins grabbed an early lead in set number one, going up 10-6 over the Blues quickly, racking up five kills – two from Addison Robertson and Jordan Hahn, with one from Lexi Baer. Fox maintained a four-point lead for much of the set, with the lead jumping to five at 16-11, which would tie up for the largest lead in the set. The Blues battled back to bring the score to within a point, 19-18. GFU responded with a back-breaking 6-2 run that featured a service ace from libero Piper Hilgaetner, and three kills from Robertson to close out the set with a 25-20 Bruins win. 

The second set featured similar themes to the first; the Bruins outhit the Blues and grabbed an early lead that Whitman couldn't overcome, however this time the frame was within a point for much of the back half before an explosive 7-1 run closed the set-out. The Bruins won the second set, 25-18, setting up a potential sweep against their NWC opponents. 

In the final set, the Bruins found themselves down by four early (the largest lead for the Blues all night), 7-3. Fox went on a quick four-point run to tie the game at seven, however, the Blues would lead the majority of the game, holding a one-point lead until the Bruins eventually tied the game at 14. Whitman responded to the tie with a four-point run to extend the lead to 18-14. With the chance to end the game in three sets slipping away, the Bruins bunkered down, climbing back to tie the game at 19 with a 4-1 run capped off by an Addison Coulter service ace. 

Even after the comeback, the Bruins couldn't pull away with a lead, with Whitman holding a point lead until Fox tied the game at 22. Fox flipped the script at the next point, taking a 23-22 lead – their first in the set since 1-0. After trading points with the Blues to 24, a Gracie Bearden kill and Whitman attack error closed out the game, 26-24, as GFU completed the sweep. 

Top Performances
Addison Robertson continued her hot stretch with a team-high 13 kills. Addison Coulter led the team with 22 kills, and Piper Hilgaetner and Gracie Bearden each had 15 digs. 

What It Means
The Bruins climb back over .500, sitting now at 10-9 (6-4 NWC), and the Blues are now 4-13 (3-7 NWC)

What Comes Next
The Bruins are on the road on Friday, October 25th, at Forest Grove in a match against the Pacific Boxers. The game starts at 7 pm.