NEWBERG, Ore. -- The George Fox women's volleyball team fought hard in their first Northwest Conference game of the season, winning the first set, but were ultimately defeated by the Willamette Bearcats, 3-1.
How it Happened
The first set started off with strong opposition from Willamette, as the Bearcats scored seven of the first 10 points. Freshman
Audrey Schmitt made the first kill for the Bruins, sparking a back-and-forth battle as the teams traded points.
Hannah Huffman's kill kindled a five-point run for Fox, putting them up 10-9. Willamette recorded a point off of a service error, but the Bruins responded with a three-point run, maintaining their lead, 13-10. From there, the Bruins and Bearcats fought neck-and-neck.
Addison Goff and
Jordan Hahn's block kickstarted a four-point run to put GFU in control. From there,
Gracie Bearden closed out the set with a final kill, securing Fox's 25-20 victory.
After battling back to win the first set, the Bruins found trouble in the second as Willamette pushed back. The scores in the beginning were tight, and Fox momentarily saw the lead thanks to a three-point run and kill from Hahn. Willamette answered by taking 10 of the next 12 points, though the Bruins continued to find offense through kills from Schmitt and Goff. Willamette added another three-point run to solidify their win, 25-15.
Set three saw immediate action from the Bruins, with Bearden earning the first kill. Kills from Schmitt and
Madelyn Gunn led Fox to an early lead, 5-3. A three-point run from Willamette challenged Fox's advantage, putting them up, 6-5. The Bearcats maintained the lead for a while before Fox briefly moved in front thanks to a three-point run, 10-9. Willamette countered with a three-point run of their own. Not to be outdone, Fox's
Chloe Wiersma completed a service ace. Willamette remained in the lead, owing to a five-point run broken by a kill from Bearden followed by a kill from Goff and a Bearcat attack error. Willamette scored four in a row, clinching the game 25-18.
The Bruins started strong in the fourth set;
Eden Cha's kill facilitated a three-point run, 3-0. Willamette snuck a few points in, but another run kept Fox in the lead, alongside a service ace by
Isabella Avila, 9-3. The Bruins went on another run, with Wiersma acing the Bearcats again, 12-5. The dynamic shifted when Willamette fired back with an astonishing eight-point run which was finally broken by a service error, placing the score at 14-13 in favor of the Bearcats. An ace from Gunn and an attack error put the Bruins up for a moment, but Willamette went on to score four consecutive points, putting the score at 18-15, Bearcats. Kills from Bearden, Schmitt and Makenna Philips kept the game tight despite another three-point run from Willamette. Fox couldn't quite catch up in this final game, however, and lost to the Bearcats 25-21.
Top Performances
Isabella Avila collected a career-high 25 digs, while
Gracie Bearden notched 13. Bearden also led the team with 10 kills, followed by
Audrey Schmitt with eight and
Addison Goff with seven.
Chloe Wiersma collected two service aces;
Isabella Avila and
Madelyn Gunn each recorded one ace.
Jordan Hahn led the way with three blocks.
Coach's Thoughts
"I was disappointed with the result of the match tonight, but we are such a young team." Bruin head coach
Emily Davis said, "We are going to be in it for the long haul this season and just trying to improve every match. We are not going to make excuses, but we will continue to work hard and give it all we've got."
What it Means
GFU drops to 2-6 (0-1 NWC), while the Bearcats advance to 5-4 (1-0 NWC).
What Happens Next
The Bruins will begin their trip to Tacoma, Wash. by facing Pacific Lutheran University. The match is scheduled for Friday, September 18 at 7:00 pm.
