WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- The George Fox women's volleyball team traveled to eastern Washington to open up Northwest Conference play against the Whitman Blues, winning the game, 3-1.

How It Happened
The first set went all Bruins out the gate as a 6-1 run put Fox up 9-4 early. Whitman stormed back to tie the game at 11, followed by another Bruin run that ended with Fox regaining the lead, 17-13. Whitman responded well,though, and the set was tight down the stretch —, at one point sitting at 21-20. The Bruins closed out the set though, with the highlight a pair of Gracie Bearden kills to end the set with Fox on top, 25-20. 

The second set started tight, with neither team pulling away until GFU ripped off a massive 7-0 run powered by three kills from Breanna Babcock and multiple assists from Addison Coulter. At the end of the run, the Bruins were up 13-8 and would cruise for the rest of the set, winning 25-18. At the end of the two sets, the Bruins were up 2-0.

The third set was all Blues from the get-go, as they stormed to an 11-6 lead and didn't look back. Whitman had 12 kills in the set as they were on their way to the largest set-win of the night, winning 25-13. The Bruins had lost the chance at a sweep, as the game was sent to a fourth set with Fox still up, 2-1. 

The fourth set was a back-and-forth affair; The Bruins took an early lead, 8-4, before Whitman rallied and took the lead themselves. With the game tied at 11, the Blues capped off a 4-0 run that left Fox down, 14-11. Whitman clawed their way to a 22-16 lead, seemingly putting the set out of reach for Fox. GFU took advantage of Whitman miscues, before scoring on a Babcock kill, and then an Allaire Gilder ace to bring the score to within two. The Blues got a kill to bring the lead back up to three, 23-20, but Fox responded resoundingly, GFU would go on a 5-0 run to close out the set – and the game. Three blocks for GFU powered the run, with Babcock, Lexi Baer, Addison Robertson, and Taylor DeKoning all showing up to the block party to finish the four-set win for Fox. 

Top Performances
Breanna Babcock had 10 kills, paired with a team-high four blocks (three assisted). Gracie Bearden led the team in kills with 15, and Piper Hilgaertner led the team in digs with 25. Kennedy Kibby led the team with 22 assists.

Coach's Thoughts
"Whitman is a strong team, and I'm proud of our team for pulling off the win," Bruin head coach Emily Davis said, "but we have more work to do, and progress to make. I'm grateful we can still learn from a win!Whitman is a strong team and I'm proud of our team for pulling off the win but we have more work to do, and progress to make. I'm grateful we can still learn from a win."

What It Means
The Bruins continue their hot streak, as tonight's win marks three wins in a row and brings them to 5-5 on the season – including 1-0 in NWC play. The Blues are now 1-7. 

What Comes Next
The Bruins continue their Washington road trip with a game against the Whitworth Pirates in Spokane, Wash., on Saturday, September 21, at 6:00 p.m.