NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox women's volleyball team played a tight and intense three sets against another top team in the conference, Pacific Lutheran, but fell 3-0 after holding their own in a gritty match.
How It Happened
The Lady Bruins struck first, with a lightning-fast kill from
Audrey Schmitt, but the Lutes, who entered the game receiving votes in the AVCA Coaches Poll, tallied a kill for themself to even out the early game. Fox and Pacific Lutheran traded blows for the next several points, never letting the other get too far ahead. It was then that the Lutes made the first breakaway of the game, going on a run of five to put the game at 16-11.
Eden Cha, a freshman for Fox, stopped the run with a strategic kill that had the defense bobbling and returned the serve to George Fox. However, momentum had been lost to the Lutes, and the Bruins were unable to close out the set after Eggert made a dink kill to end the comeback, 25-19.Â
Another tight game ensued in the second set, with Eggert scoring the kill for the Lutes, but Bruin
Madelyn Gunn shot right back with a powerful kill that punched straight through the block attempt. Small runs by both teams battled for a score of 13-13 when the Lutes were able to nab a three-point run. Cha made another run-stopping kill with a missile to the center and aided Bruin
Jordan Hahn in a block that put the Bruins just one point down.Â
Pacific Lutheran rallied and went on another big run, scoring four points. Kills by Hahn and
Addison Goff brought the scores close once again, only for another four-point run by the Lutes to start up again. Pacific Lutheran's Julissa Pernsteiner finished off the set with a fast kill to the back. The set finished once again at 25-19.
Once again, the Lutes found themselves grabbing the first points of the set, but
Gracie Bearden led the Bruins to their first kill of the set — a powerful shot to the outside that took the Tacoma team off guard. Pacific Lutheran pulled away once again, however, with a three-point lead, which included an ace and a kill to bring the score up 8-3 on the Bruins. Then, in a series of long rallies, the Bruins went on a run of four straight kills featuring Makena Philips, Goff, and Cha.
From then on out, the game was intensely tight, the two teams only two points apart for the majority of the game. Pacific Lutheran was up 21-19, the Bruins sitting at the score they had not managed to pass in the previous two sets. Schmitt, Bearden, and Cha crushed that barrier in three consecutive kills, all assisted by
Chloe Wiersma. Timeout, Lutes. 22-21.
After an incredibly close battle by the two teams, and incredible defensive efforts on behalf of the Bruins, the Lutes took the victory when Aleixs Eggert got a kill, putting the set at 25-23 and winning the match.
Top Performances
Cha, Bearden, and Goff each tallied seven kills in the game, respectively — Hahn finishing with a .545 hitting percentage. Stidham and Wiersma each had 14 assists, with Wiersma also finding two aces in the game.
Eden Cha led the team with 13 digs, while Hahn and
Audrey Schmitt had a team-high four digs.
What This Means
Fox falls to 4-14 (NWC 2-9), while Pacific Lutheran rises to 16-3 (NWC 9-1).
What Happens Next
The Bruins will travel to McMinnville, Oregon, to play the Linfield Wildcats next Saturday, October 24. The game is scheduled to start at 6:00 pm.
