WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- The George Fox women's volleyball team fell to Whitman, after a four set battle, finishing their Whits trip with a pair of 3-1 losses. 

How It Happened
The first set was a back-and-forth battle between the Bruins and the Blues. Allaire Gilder earned the first point for George Fox, before the Blues were able to create a three-point gap, 9-6 — but the Bruins were quick to close it. Jordan Hahn executed a kill to start a run for her team. Isabella Avila stole a point back with a service ace, which was followed by a kill by Addison Goff to gain the lead, 10-9.

The Blues were able to widen the gap again, creating a 20-16 deficit. Goff tacked on a kill, followed by a big swing for a point by Gilder. Gabriela Yepez Suarez gained a point back with a kill of her own before Goff took another big swing to complete the run and secure the lead once more, 21-20. Both teams battled until the end, but Whitman was able to pull ahead, 26-24, to capture the win in the first set.

A first-point attack error by Whitman allowed George Fox to obtain an early lead in the second, cemented by an immediate service ace from Goff, 2-0. The Blues answered back with a five-point run, but the Bruins were able to gain the lead once more due to four consecutive attack errors by Whitman. Later in the match, Whitman was able to secure an 18-9 lead. A kill from Goff ended a Blues run, followed by a service ace by Mikaila Kronholm.

George Fox continued to battle, fighting to keep up with Whitman. Hahn began a run for the Bruins which was followed by an ace by Chloe Wiersma, another kill from Hahn Hahn, and a Gracie Bearden kill to cut the score to 20-23. The Blues pulled our the final two points, though, giving the Blues a 25-20 win.

Bearden started the third set with an early kill, securing the lead immediately. Though Whitman pulled ahead once more, attack errors by the Blues tied the score up, 5-5. Goff took advantage of an opportunity, taking a big swing to put the Bruins on top once more. Gilder produced an ace to give the Bruins a lead, which they did not lose for the remainder of the match.

Hahn started another massive run for the Bruins with a kill, followed by a big swing by Bearden to secure back-to-back points. A well-placed ball by Avila resulted in a service ace. Jenna Knibbs concluded the six-point run with a kill, leaving the Bruins with a 21-15 lead. George Fox was able to keep this momentum to the end, closing out the match 25-17, and forcing Whitman into a fourth set.

The Blues came out hot, scoring four consecutive points to start the match and never looking back. Lexi Baer and Goff scored two early points for the Bruins, cutting the Whitman lead to two, but the Blues went on a rampage, scoring 15 consecutive points to secure a 19-4 lead. The Bruins were unable to close the considerable gap, losing the fourth set 25-8.

Top Performances
Addison Goff led the Bruins in kills with 11, followed by Allaire Gilder with nine. Grace Bearden led the team with 17 digs, while Chloe Wiersma collected 18 assists and Mikaila Kronholm finished with 13. Isabella Avila and Wiersma each produced two service aces throughout the match. Gilder and Kronholm each had one, respectively. Gilder also led the Bruins in blocks with 3.5 against the Blues. 

What It Means
George Fox falls to 6-14 (3-11 NWC) on the season. Whitman advances to 10-11 overall (9-5 NWC). 

What Comes Next
The Bruins will head to Forest Grove, Ore. to face off against Pacific in their final road game of the year on Tuesday, November 4th at 7:00pm.