NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox women's volleyball team showcased their abilities in a dominating four-set game against the Pacific Boxers, ending the night with a 3-1 win.

How It Happened
Fox began the contest ready to compete and go all out. After an ace from Chloe Wiersma, another from Allaire Gilder, and a kill by Lexi Baer, the Bruins quickly had a 6-2 lead, one they wouldn't let up for the rest of the set. Jordan Hahn, Gracie Bearden, Hannah Huffman, and Baer all contributed kills to sustain their lead; along with them, Jenna Knibbs had a stellar ace to keep Fox just in front in a see-saw game, 17-16. After some back-and-forth, the Bruins went on a five-point run thanks to kills from Huffman, Bearden, and Gilder — alongside a service ace by Isabella Avila, 22-17. From there on out, there was no coming back for Pacific, and with a final error on their part, George Fox took the first set, 25-20.

The second set began very much like the first, with the Bruins showcasing their dominance on the court. In the few first points, Knibbs racked up three kills, Baer had two, and Hahn also contributed a kill alongside with a block with Hoffman as the Bruins took a 7-3 lead. The tide changed after some battling between the two teams; the Boxers went on many small runs to take the lead, 17-14. The gap in the score widened considerably, with the Boxers closing on a massive 14-2 run to take a seemingly-insurmountable lead, 24-16. 

Despite the pressure that match point brought, George Fox didn't back down. The Bruins went on an incredible seven point rally through kills made by Bearden and Huffman, a solo block from Gilder and another with Huffman by her side, and finally an ace from Avila. Although the Bruins made the score a one-point difference, Pacific ended the set with a kill, 23-25. 

The Bruins took that momentum into the third set which started off with a kill from Bearden. It was a true fight over the net with each team taking turns scoring until the score became 6-6. Fox quickly changed the game, going on a huge eight-point run; on the offensive side of things, Huffman earned two kills and Bearden added another. The Lady Bruins' defense was also working hard, as seen through two huge blocks — one by Huffman and Gilder as well as Bearden and Gilder — while also utilizing errors made by the Boxers, 14-6. 

Pacific went on a small four-point run of their own, but the damage was done — After an error made the Boxers, Gilder had three aces to make the score 23-12. With two final kills by Baer and Huffman, the Bruins won and dominated the third set, 25-17.

George Fox was the first to make their mark in the fourth set; with kills from Bearden, Gilder, and Baer as well as two aces from Bearden, the score was quickly in the Bruins favor, 5-0. After a single point from Pacific, the Lady Bruins earned three more points — one being a powerful block made by Knibbs and Gilder to make the score 8-1. Though the Boxers closed the game, George Fox went on a four-point run — with kills from Bearden and Hahn boosting the Bruins — to stay ahead. Nevertheless, the Boxers made an error and with a final, striking kill from Bearden, the Lady Bruins won the set — 25-19 — and the game, 3-1. 

Top Performances
Both Gracie Bearden and Jordan Hahn had a great night in terms of kills; each had a total of 13 and were followed by Lexi Baer (10) and Hannah Huffman (a career-high eight). In some of her first collegiate action, Breanne Dowdy was the Bruins main setter with 22 assists, but following closely behind her was Chloe Wiersma with 21. 

Many players also had several aces on the night; Bearden and Allaire Gilder each had four, Isabella Avila had three, and Chloe Wiersma had two. George Fox was also very successful on the defensive side of things; Gilder had the only solo block of the evening, but also had five block assists to add along with Huffman's three. Bearden led the team with 15 digs, followed by Avila (13), and Jenna Knibbs (10). 

Top Performances
"I'm proud of our team for pulling out the win tonight," Bruin head coach Emily Davis said, ""win or lose this is a fun group to be around, and I am impressed by the way they handle themselves on and off the court."

What It Means
The Bruins improve to 5-8 (1-6 NWC) on the season, while the Boxers fall to 4-8 (1-6 NWC) on the year.

What Happens Next
George Fox will compete next at Linfield (4-7, 2-4 NWC) on Saturday, October 11. The matchup against the Wildcats is scheduled to start at 6:00 pm.