Boxers Heavy Hitters In Win Over George Fox
Box Score
NEWBERG, Ore. – Pacific had their hitting game pumping on all cylinders Friday as three Boxers finished with double figure kills to score a four-set victory over George Fox, 25-22, 25-23, 16-25, 25-17, in Northwest Conference volleyball action at the Wheeler Sports Center.
Kelsy Takashima (Jr., Kaunakakai, Hawaii) led the way with 13 kills, four digs, three blocks and an outstanding .545 attack percentage as the Boxers (5-18, 4-11 NWC) hit .259 as a team. Alexa Block (So., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) added 13 kills while Mariah McHolland (Fr., Renton, Wash.) posted 12 kills, a .525 attack percentage and seven blocks.
Danica Thompson (Fr., Sisters, Ore.) finished with 44 assists and Jade Thompson (So., Marysville, Wash.) added 18 digs.
George Fox (10-15, 5-10 NWC), who upset league leader Puget Sound last weekend, hit a respectable .146 for the match, but could not keep up with the Boxers' torrid pace. Isabel Valentine led the Bruins with 13 kills while Betsy Wilhelm added 12 kills. Ali Toedtemeier finished with 45 assists and Patti Reeves had 18 digs.
Pacific got off to an early lead in the opening set, scoring five straight points to take an 8-2 led on a kill by Danica Thompson. The Bruins scrapped back and eventually took the 17-15 advantage on a Pacific attack error. A service error by the Bruins started a six-point run by the Boxers that proved to set the winning margin. Block had a pair of kills in the run and a block by Takashima and McHolland wrapped up the 25-22 win.
The Bruins built a commanding lead in the second set, only to watch the Boxers steal it late. Two kills by Cassie Irwin and three service aces fueled a run that saw the Bruins 10 of 11 points to go up 14-7 lead. From that point, though, George Fox scored just two more points off of their own serve. The Boxers used a run of five points to come within 15-12 and took a 20-19 lead on a kill by Keleigh Kremers (Jr., Beeville, Texas). Two George Fox attack errors fueled a final four-point run late to all but secure the 25-23 win.
George Fox played their best volleyball in the third set, allowing the Boxers just four points off of their own serve. The Bruins jumped out to a 10-6 lead on Carley Johnson's service ace and made it 16-10 on a Valentine kill. A string of three points and a string of four points late put the set out of reach for a 25-16 win.
The Boxers were just as dominant in the fourth set as the Bruins were in the third. Block served Pacific to a 4-0 lead out of the gate. George Fox bounced back to tie the set at 9-9 before a McHolland kill sparked a seven-point run that put the Boxers ahead 16-9. The Bruins scored just two more points off of their own serve, allowing the Boxers to earn their first road victory of the season.
Pacific wraps up their 2010 season at home Saturday afternoon, hosting Puget Sound at 5 p.m.
