NEWBERG, Ore. – George Fox served 11 aces and kept visiting Whitworth off-balance with a strong serve attack throughout the match to defeat the visiting Pirates in five sets during a Northwest Conference women's volleyball match on Saturday night.
Even when the Bruins (7-4 overall, 3-1 NWC) weren't getting aces with their serves, they were taking the Pirates (6-6, 3-1) out of their offensive system in the 25-21, 19-25, 24-26, 25-18, 15-5 victory.
After George Fox jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opening set, Whitworth came back to take several one-point leads, including 8-7 and 12-11 on kills by Amblessed Okemgbo. The Bruins used a 5-1 run to go ahead 14-12 on Kassandra Staton's kill and never trailed again in the frame. Kennedy Kibby's service ace increased the lead to 19-15. The Pirates got within 20-19, but the Bruins were able to close out the set without losing the lead.
The Pirates never trailed in the second set after jumping out to a 5-1 lead. An Ella Jimenez kill increased the lead to 12-6 and another Jimenez put-away made it 16-9. Kaity Barr's kill increased the margin to 21-14 and the Bucs won the set on a Bruin attack error.
Whitworth won the third set with a huge comeback. George Fox led 11-2 after consecutive Pirate attack errors and the Bruins went ahead 15-5 following a kill from Olivia Jacobsen. George Fox appeared on the way to finishing an easy set victory at 18-7 when Jacobsen and Staton combined on a block. Trailing 20-12, Whitworth used a 5-0 run to get within 20-17, including two kills each from Jimenez and Barr. Down 22-18, the Pirates got a 4-0 run to tie the set after a kill from Logan Spencer. Whitworth scored the final three points of the frame to pull out a 26-24 win.
But the Pirates could not turn that momentum into a match victory. George Fox regrouped to win the fourth set, trailing only once at 3-2. The Bruins led 10-7 on a Whitworth attack error. Whitworth got back within 12-11 after a Jimenez kill, but GFU steadily pulled away to win the frame, which ended on a Pirate attack error.
Whitworth was never close in the final set after falling behind 5-0. The Bruins hit .313 and had five of their service aces to win going-away.
Barr and Jimenez finished with 19 points apiece to lead the Pirates. Barr had 14 kills (.333 hitting), one aces, two solo blocks and four block assists. Jimenez finished with 15 kills, one ace, one solo block and four block assists. Cassidy Franklin had 14 kills and three block assists, while Okemgbo added a dozen kills. Mya Rodriguez dished 56 assists and had 13 digs. Taylor Miche added 32 digs.
Staton led George Fox with 19 kills and 19.5 points. Addison Robertson added 14 kills, Emily Blagg added 13 and Taylor Dekoning totaled 12.
Whitworth returns home to host Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran next weekend in a pair of key NWC matches.
