Willamette Downs George Fox in Three Sets to Tie for 3rd Place in NWC at 10-6

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Olivia Cadien (So., OH, Mesa, AZ/Chandler Preparatory Academy) recorded 16 kills, Emma Porter (Sr., S, Honolulu, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute) supplied 33 assists, and Shyla Sato (Sr., LIB, Honolulu, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute) earned 24 digs to lead Willamette University to a 3-0 victory over George Fox University on Saturday, Nov. 5, at Cone Field House. The statistics for Cadien, Porter, and Sato, were especially impressive for a three-set match.

The Bearcats defeated the Bruins 25-22, 25-16, 25-20, as Willamette moved into a tie for third place at 10-6 in the final Northwest Conference standings. The Bearcats ended the year tied with Pacific Lutheran University, also at 10-6.

Willamette and PLU finished just one game behind NWC co-champions Whitworth University and the University of Puget Sound, both at 11-5 in conference play. George Fox, which entered Saturday's match tied with the Bearcats, fell to 9-7 in the NWC.

For the year, Willamette was 11-11 overall, including four wins in the final six matches. George Fox ended its season with a 12-11 record.

The Bearcats highlighted their seniors prior to the match and completed Senior Night after the victory, when Willamette Head Volleyball Coach Lily Hallock spoked about each of the five seniors over the public address system. Seniors for the Bearcats this fall were Porter, Sato, Dani Queja (Sr., OH, Ewa Beach, HI/Maryknoll School), Lexi Martin (Sr., MH, Bellevue, WA/Interlake HS), and Steele Jasa (Sr., DS/S, Bend, OR/Summit HS).

"This group of seniors will long be remembered for their dedication, good nature and humor," Hallock said. "Our strong performance this season is due in large part to them. They have helped to develop the younger players, which in turn strengthens the team."

Joining Cadien with double-digit kills on Saturday was Queja, who contributed 10 kills to go along with a .333 hitting percentage and nine digs. Martin added nine kills and a .368 hitting percentage for the Bearcats. Cadien provided eight digs, helping WU gain a 55-48 edge in digs overall. The Bearcats also claimed a 47-29 lead in kills.

WU earned a .228 team attacking percentage while holding George Fox to a .109 attacking percentage. Kassandra Staton topped GFU with 10 kills and achieved nine digs. Piper Harrop accumulated a team-high 15 digs, while Kennedy Kibby was credited with 17 assists.

"We played some of our strongest volleyball tonight and posted a season high for team hitting percentage," Hallock commented. "It was a fun match to celebrate our seniors."

The first set included eight ties and two lead changes. George Fox earned four consecutive points for a 7-3 lead, but the Bearcats eventually tied the score on a kill by Martin for a 13-13 deadlock. There were five more ties before WU grabbed a 20-19 lead on a kill by Kaitlyn Westby (So., MH, Redmond, WA/Eastside Catholic HS). Westby's kill was followed by two attacking errors from the Bruins, as the Bearcats built a 22-19 margin. Willamette split the next six rallies for a 25-22 win.

Willamette broke a 3-3 tie in the second set with a 8-2 run for an 11-5 lead. Cadien and Martin each had two kills during the run, while Queja added one kill. The Bearcats extended the lead to 19-8 following a kill by Porter. GFU reduced the deficit to 23-16 on a kill by Taylor Dekoning. A kill from Queja during then next rally, plus an attacking miscue by the Bruins, gave WU a 25-16 victory.

In the third set, Willamette never trailed after attaining leads of 3-0, 10-3, and 16-7. The Bearcats held a 22-12 lead after 34 rallies, but George Fox scored seven points in a row to move within 22-19. A kill by Cadien started a match-clinching 3-1 run that also included two kills by Martin.