SALEM, Ore. -- The George Fox women's volleyball team opened up their season with two games at the Oregon Trail Classic, opening with a loss to Bushnell before bouncing back with a sweep over Pacific Union for their first win of the season.
How It Happened -- GFU vs. Bushnell
The first set was a nail-biter — Bushnell received the first two points of the first set, but shortly after was a swing and a kill by
Allaire Gilder. The two teams volleyed points back and forth for a while with a kill from
Lexi Baer being the highlight, before the Bruins fell behind by four. Four kills in a row from
Addison Robertson and
Gracie Bearden got the Bruins back in it, with Fox taking a 16-14 lead. That lead was the last one Fox managed, with the Beacons regaining and holding off Fox. The Bruins managed to keep on Bushnell's toes with a kill by
Breanna Babcock, but unfortunately lost 25-23.
Fox started the second set off strong with the first kill by
Jenna Knibbs and a second from Baer — the score being 4-1. The Bruins would continue to keep with a steady lead, until the Beacons pulled ahead with 11-10. The remainder of the set was spent with both teams fighting for the win and many blocks from the front middle row. A kill from Bearden gave Fox the 24-22 lead, but the Beacons fought back to win the set, 26-24.In the last set, Bushnell slowly gained on the Bruins, to secure the set, 25-17, and overall 3-0 win.
How It Happened -- GFU vs. Pacific Union
Freshman
Jordan Hahn helped the Bruins a powerful lead with the first kill of the match, with Fox racking up the points to take a ten-point lead. Hahn ended the set out with another flawless kill to give her team a dominant 25-16 win.
In the second set, the Pioneers got the first point, but Fox quickly grasped control. Two Babcock kills in a row made the score 12-5; following that, it was two Baer kills in a row to give the Bruins another ten-point lead, 15-5. Roberston finished the set with another kill to give the Bruins a 25-14 win.
Again in the third set, the Pacific Union locked up the first point, but Fox moved ahead with ease. Three kills from Baer, Hahn and Bearden helped make the score 15-6. The Bruins quickly ran away from the game, with Knibbs demolishing the Pioneers with a kill to give the Bruins the sweep, winning the set, 25-10.
Top Performers
In game one, Addison Roberston and Alexis Baer lead George Fox's offensive positions with eight and five kills. Senior
Kennedy Kibby completed the match with 24 assists, while in defense
Piper Hilgaertner had 15 digs.
Gracie Bearden and
Jenna Knibbs were the top hitters in the second game, with 11 and 10 kills overall. Knibbs finished with 26 assists and nine digs;
Addison Hawes had a solid 15 assists and Hilgaertner had eight digs.
Coach's Thoughts
"We knew Bushnell was going to be tough competition," Bruin head coach
Emily Davis, "and we should have taken a set from them, but overall, I was very proud of our serve receive, defense and aggressive swings. It was nice to see us play disciplined against Pacific Union, and take care of business. We had some impressive performances by young and new players today, leaving me very hopeful about the season ahead."
What It Means
George Fox sits at 1-1 on the season, while the Beacons are at 1-3, and the Pioneers 1-3.
What Happens Next
The Bruins will stay in the Oregon Trail Classic but move back to their home court to face Mary Hardin-Baylor at the Wheeler Sports Center tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. Fox will then later play against Multnomah at 6:00 p.m.
