NEWBERG, Ore. –Lewis & Clark College volleyball hit .250 in the third set of Friday's Northwest Conference road match on their way to a 25-16 win; however, George Fox University took the match in four sets.
 
THE BASICS
 
George Fox 3, Lewis & Clark 1 (25-18, 25-22, 16-25, 25-7)
(Lewis & Clark 0-14, 0-7 NWC)
(George Fox 8-8, 5-3 NWC)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
Three seniors recorded multiple kills against the Bruins on Friday night. Annika Traxler knocked down a match-high 10 kills to lead the Pioneers on .250 hitting. Ella Ruark (eight kills) and Emily Strand (four kills) were second and third on the team in kills.
 
On defense, senior Bethany Ballesteros led the team with 17 digs. Sophomore Christi San Diego, Ruark and Strand all had three block assists. Ruark recorded her second solo block of the season.
 
Lewis & Clark jumped out to a 4-1 lead to start the match after kills from Ruark, San Diego and Traxler. The Pioneers held the lead in the first set until the Bruins went on a 7-1 run that forced a Lewis & Clark timeout. George Fox extended their lead to 20-14 in the opening set before closing it out on a 5-4 run.
 
The Bruins took the momentum into the second set and took a 5-0 lead before a Traxler kill ended the opening run. Down 7-1, the Pioneers went on a 7-2 run during which sophomore Isabel Meleán-Williams recorded a kill, Ruark, Strand, San Diego and sophomore HB Schuett notched block assists and Ballesteros served up one of her match-high four aces.
 
A Strand kill started a 4-0 Lewis & Clark run that tied the set at 18-all. Ballesteros' second ace of the set tied it at 20-20 and Ruark's solo block gave the Pioneers their first lead at 21-20. George Fox went on a 5-1 run to take a 2-0 lead heading into the break.
 
In the third set, a Bruins' service error broke a 6-all tie, and Strand's kill, followed by a service ace by first-year Ainsley Mochrie, gave the Pioneers a three-point lead. Lewis & Clark then went on an 8-2 run in which Ruark knocked down three kills and Traxler added another as George Fox used both of their timeouts, the second with the Pioneers leading 17-8. The Bruins went on a 6-2 run to cut the lead to five points; then the Pioneers finished the set on their own 6-2 run for the 25-16 win.
 
The George Fox offense came alive in the fourth set as the Bruins took an 18-3 lead on their way to a 25-7 win to end the match. The Bruins hit .750 in the final set, committing no errors.
 
BY THE NUMBERS 

• Ruark's five kills in the third set were the most in a set by any player for the match.
• The Pioneers outhit the Bruins .250 (10-4-24) to .036 (7-6-28) in the third set.
• Ballesteros recorded eight digs in the opening set, more than any player in the match.

 WHO'S NEXT
 
Lewis & Clark returns to Pamplin Sports Center for a 6:00 p.m. match tomorrow against Pacific.