Anderson Sparks Bruins in Payback Sweep of Pioneers

In their last encounter in the conference opener on Sept. 13th in Portland, the Bruins let leads of 7-2 and 12-7 in the fifth game get away as the Pioneers rallied to pull off a stunning win, but the Bruins would allow none of that this time.

Photo: George Fox

NEWBERG - Making sure they would not let victory slip through their fingers as happened the last time they met, the George Fox University Bruins made quick work of the Lewis & Clark College Pioneers 3-0 in a snappy 84-minute Northwest Conference women’s volleyball match Wednesday night here at the Wheeler Sports Center’s Miller Gym.

Led by middle blocker Elizabeth Anderson’s 18 kills and 12.5 blocks by the defense, the Bruins posted a 30-26, 30-27, 30-19 sweep of the Pioneers to split the season series.

George Fox held a slim lead for the first half of game one, finally taking a five-point lead at 17-12 on a block by Holly Hutchinson and Sarah Crossfield, but the Pioneers scored five unanswered points, sparked by a pair of Sara Kettler kills, to tie it 17-17.

There were five more ties thereafter until back-to-back kills by Karina Philliber, a block by Anderson and Philliber, and a service ace by Amy Knight put the Bruins up 28-24. Hutchinson and Philliber blocked a Pioneer attack for the final point.

It was Lewis & Clark’s turn to hold the lead for most of the time in the second game as the Pios built up as much as a six-point lead six times, the last at 24-18 on a Bruin service error.

A kill by Anderson and back-to-back spikes by Hutchinson ignited an 8-0 run, however, that put the the Bruins ahead for good 26-24.

Whitney Kolb’s kill sealed the game for the Bruins.

Anderson had four of her game-high eight kills in a 6-1 Bruin start to the third game, but the Pios ran off a string of six unanswered points of their own to take a brief 7-6 lead.

An Anderson kill and service ace, two kills by Hutchinson, and a rare three-player block by Hutchinson, Crossfield and Philliber gave the Bruins an 11-7 lead, and they were never seriously threatened again.

Back-to-back kills by Jennifer Panico gave the Bruins their largest lead and ended the match.

Anderson hit .500 and was joined in the Bruin attack by Philliber with 13 kills. Hutchinson and Kolb had eight kills each and hit .333 and .300 respectively.

Knight had 41 assists and made 10 digs, as did Sarah Burkey.

Hutchinson was the blocks leader with two solos and seven assisted, and Kolb had four aces.

Nicki Smith was the only Pioneers in double figures with 10 kills, six in the first game, while Kettler added eight. Chase had 18 assists and Melody Kayser 12.

Chase and Leah Collins led the defense with 12 digs each, and Chase had three aces.

George Fox (6-13, NWC 3-6) visits the University of Puget Sound Friday while Lewis & Clark (6-13, NWC 4-5) goes to league-leading Pacific Lutheran University Saturday, both matches start at 7 PM.

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