Volleyball: George Fox 3, Whitman 0

Bruins Streak Past Missionaries for First NWC Win.

Salem-News.com Sports

NEWBERG, Ore. - Running off winning streaks of seven, eight, and six points to build leads in three consecutive sets, the George Fox University Bruins picked up their first Northwest Conference win of the season 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 20-18) over the Whitman College Missionaries in women’s volleyball action Friday night here at the Wheeler Sports Center’s Miller Gym.

In set one, a kill by Eliza Pledger ignited a 7-0 run that boosted the Bruins from an 11-6 lead to 18-6, with Ali Toedtemeier doing the serving honors, including one ace. Not to be outdone, the Missionaries put together a seven-point streak of their own to close within five at 18-13, but they would get no closer before a block by the Bruins’ Kaitlyn Maddams and Stephanie Kerr ended the set.

Despite hitting a robust .325 (14 kills and only one error) in the second set, the Bruins found themselves down 17-14 as Whitman also went on the offensive, recording 15 kills in the set. Another block by Maddams and Kerr, followed immediately by a block by Pledger and Kerr, sent the Bruins off on an 8-0 run that jumped them ahead 22-17. Maddams served the go-ahead rally, throwing in one ace along with a pair of kills by Jennifer Panico, as the Bruins pulled away.

The Bruins never trailed in set three but it was tied three times, the last at 10-10 on a winner by Whitman’s Katie Richards. A surprise attack on a set by Lani Rasmussen broke the knot and put the Bruins ahead for good, and they stretched the advantage to 19-12 with a 6-0 run served by Panico, who included one ace. Pledger teamed up for blocks with Betsy Wilhelm and Lyndsay Hovee at the front and back ends of the streak, and Hovee added back-to-back kills in the middle. Whitman rallied as Alex Graves served three straight aces and Carrie Cecil hit a winner to cut the deficit to 19-17, but the Bruins sealed the deal with a 6-1 run to the finish, featuring two kills each by Maddams and Hovee and the clincher by Kerr.

Hovee paced the Bruins with 10 kills and a .308 hitting percentage, while Kerr added seven kills and Maddams six while hitting .500. Rasmussen and Toedtemeier had 17 and 12 assists respectively. On defense, Carley Johnson picked up 16 digs, Hovee 13, and Panico 12. The Bruins posted nine blocks, with Pledger in on five (one solo), Maddams on four, and Wilhelm and Kerr on three. The Bruins finished with a .243 attack percentage after making only four hitting errors through the first two sets.

Graves led the Missionaries with 11 kills, and Courtney Brewer chipped in with seven while hitting .538. Richards handed out 30 assists. Kelsie Butts made 18 digs and Katie Miller 10, and Brewer contributed to three of the Missionaries’ four blocks. Whitman hit .126 in the match, with 34 kills and 20 errors.

Both teams play Saturday at 5:00 p.m., George Fox (8-3, NWC 1-2) hosting Whitworth University and Whitman (3-5, NWC 1-2) going to Lewis & Clark College.

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