NEWBERG, Ore -- The George Fox women's volleyball team fought hard in their home opener Colorado College Tigers, dropping the five-set match, 3-2.

How It Happened
The energy in the first set can only be described as electrifying, as both teams came out ready to go all out. The Tigers came out swinging and got an early lead, but the Bruins were quick to respond. After a kill from Jordan Hahn to tie the score, 4-4, the Lady Bruins used that momentum to take the lead for their own. From then on, both teams battled, but George Fox was dominant, using a 10-2 run to grasp control. After a clean kill from Gracie Bearden, George Fox took the first set for their own, 25-18. 

The second set was a stark contrast compared to the first for George Fox. It started like the first, with Colorado College getting an early lead, but as the Foxes tried to battle back, they weren't able to bridge the gap in the score. GFU ultimately lost the second set after a hard-fought contest, 12-25. 

The third set was much like the second; after a kill by Lexi Baer for the Bruins, the Tigers didn't let that disturb them and once again came out with a strong attack. During the battle, Fox did have moments where they shone, with kills from Allaire Gilder, Gracie Bearden, and Baer showing they weren't going down without a fight. The set ended with another loss for the Bruins with a score of 11-25.

While the two sets before were won by Colorado College, the Bruins refused to back down. After another strong starting run from the Tigers, the Bruins started to creep back into the game. And after a kill from Gilder, the Lady Bruins went on a run of their own, trailing by just one, 14-13. From then on, it was a constant back-and-forth match between the teams. Energy was high in the gym after another kill by Baer and a huge block by Hahn to make the score 25-24. The audience seemed tense as they watched the teams fight over and over again for the ending matchpoint, but neither team could claim victory. It wasn't until a kill from Addison Goff and a crucial error made by the Tigers that the Lady Bruins won the set with an outburst of cheers, 33-31.

The fifth set was the hardest contest of the afternoon, each team wanting the win. George Fox battled on offense and defense, strategically using errors made by the Tigers to create advantages. The teams traded leads for the opening stages of the game, with Fox grabbing an 11-10 advantage on a Gilder ace. A back-breaking 5-1 run to end the game gave the Tigers a 15-12 fifth-set win.

Top Performers
Addison Goff led the Bruins in kills with 15 kills while also having a block. Jordan Hahn also had a solo block along with five block assists to go along with six kills. Gracie Bearden, meanwhile, had a double-double with a career-high 23 digs and 10 kills. Isabella Avila had 18 digs, while Mikaila Kronholm had 37 assists.

Coach's Thoughts
"It was so fun to play Colorado College," Bruin head coach Emily Davis said, "I'm very grateful they made the trip out. I saw a fight in our team today and as much as I would have liked to walk away with the win, I am grateful we fought so hard for the match. We are learning more about our team every day and hopefully we will continue to make progress throughout this whole season."

What It Means
The Bruins' overall record is now at a close 2-3, while Colorado College improves to 5-2 on the year.

What Happens Next
The Lady Bruins will stay at Wheeler Sports Center for another home game on Monday, September 7th at 5:00 pm against Pacific Union.