GEORGETOWN, Texas -- The George Fox women's volleyball team wrapped up their time in Texas at the Southwestern Invitational against the Hardin-Simmons Cowgirls, ending the trip with a 3-0 loss.
How It Happened
Fox was first to get on the board, taking a quick 3-0 lead to start the first set thanks to an
Audrey Schmitt kill, Madelyn Gun ace, and an HSU attack error. A handful of attack and service errors on both ends brought the score to 10-9, the Bruins still just ahead. Back-to-back kills and Hardin-Simmons making errors gave Fox a six-point advantage, 20-14.
The Cowgirls weren't letting down that easily and scored three points in a row to inch a bit closer (21-17). The action for Fox slowed down, and they couldn't hold onto their lead, with Hardin-Simmons closing out the set with a service ace to end the first on a 11-3 run to take it, 25-23.
Hardin-Simmons started off the second set finding a quick 6-1 lead. A kill by
Addison Goff,
Jordan Hahn, and a service ace for
Kendall Stidham got Fox closer, while
LeAna Cimarra put together a staggering
four service aces in a row to give the Bruins a 10-8 lead. Fox found five more points on a collection of Cowgirl errors and kills, but stayed stuck in place the rest of the set. Hardin-Simmons scored seven straight to claim the set, 25-15.
The final set was closer, with Stidham assisted back-to-back kills with a service ace, 4-3. The Cowgirls took their momentum from the previous sets and started their streak with a 4-0 run (12-7). A pair of kills by
Gracie Bearden and
Hannah Huffman started a quick counter as Fox scored four straight to cut the deficit to, 20-17. Cimarra nailed two more aces, and Fox picked up their final points on the opponents' mistakes, 21-19.
Unfortunately for the Bruin women, Hardin-Simmons calmly countered and found three more kills, and on a Bruin error, finished the set 25-19 and the game with a 3-0 sweep.
Top Performances
LeAna Cimarra led the team with seven service aces in just three sets — including four consecutive in the second set. Adison Goff led the team with six kills, while
Chloe Wiersma had 12 assists and
Kendall Stidham had 11.
Madelyn Gunn captured nine digs alongside her five kills.
Coach's Thoughts
"We definitely didn't make it tough on Hardin Simmons today,"
Emily Davis sai,d "and I wish we would have played tougher but they showed their seniority. I'm hopeful we will take the valuable pieces of the weekend and return with more confidence than we left with."
What It Means
Fox's record moves to 2-5, while Hardin-Simmons jumps to 4-3.
What Happens Next
The Bruins will return back home and face Willamette on Tuesday, September 15th, at 7 p.m.
