NEWBERG, Ore. – Lewis & Clark College volleyball split the first two sets with George Fox University on Friday night but could not stop the home team attack and dropped a four-set Northwest Conference road match.     
 
THE BASICS
 
George Fox 3, Lewis & Clark 1 (25-18, 20-25, 25-7, 25-10)
(Lewis & Clark 7-15, 2-12 NWC)
(George Fox 14-6, 10-3 NWC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Freshman Ruby Kuerschner dished out 24 assists and served up a career-best seven aces, but the Bruins rebounded from a second-set loss, allowing only 17 Pioneer points over the final two sets.
 
Kuerschner recorded career-assist 500 on a kill by classmate Christi San Diego late in the fourth set. With two matches remaining in her debut season, Kuerschner has amassed 501 assists and is off to the best start by a freshman setter since Lewis & Clark's all-time career assist leader, Leia Matsunaga, recorded 951 assists in 2009, which is second in program history for assists in a season.  
 
Senior Izzy Willis led the team with 12 kills, 10 of which she knocked down in the first two sets. Willis hit .444 for 10 kills on 18 swings, with two errors before the break.  
 
Junior Emily Strand (six kills) finished second, while San Diego and juniors Annika Traxler and Ella Ruark tied for third in kills with four a piece.
 
Senior libero Katie Shimaura had a team-high 11 digs and added four assists on the night. Traxler and junior Bethany Ballesteros added 10 and eight digs, respectively.
 
George Fox jumped out to a 6-3 lead to start the match, but Lewis & Clark tied the first set at 12-all before the Bruins went a run to take the set 25-18.  
 
The Pioneers fought back from a 10-7 deficit in the second set to knot the score at 14. A kill by Willis gave Lewis & Clark the lead for good at 18-17, and they would outscore George Fox 7-3 the rest of the way for a 25-20 set two win and head into the extended break tied at a set each.
 
The Bruins dominated the third set and had a 17-6 lead when the Pioneers had to use their second time out. George Fox closed the set with an 8-1 run to take the two-set to one lead.
 
The final set quickly ran away from Lewis & Clark again, and they had to use both timeouts early, the final way with the Bruins up 16-5.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Shimaura moved into seventh for program digs in a season with 390 this year, passing Elena Hoff's 386 digs in the 2012 season.
• San Diego continued her defense at the net with a solo block and two block assists; she now leads the team with 47 total blocks this season.     
• Kuerschner's seven aces move her into a tie with Shimaura for most aces on the team this season, as each of them has 35 aces.
• The Pioneers lead the NWC with 190 aces this season and an average of 2.44 per set.

WHO'S NEXT
 
Lewis & Clark has a week off before hosting their final weekend of games, starting with Pacific on Friday at 7 p.m. in Pamplin Sports Center.