NEWBERG, Ore. – Visiting Whitworth posted ten team blocks and held George Fox to a hitting percentage of .000 while sweeping the Bruins in a Northwest Conference volleyball match on Friday night.

The Pirates improved to 20-5 overall and 13-2 in the NWC, moving within one win of a share of the conference championship with Pacific Lutheran.  PLU's 3-0 sweep at Willamette on Friday night gave the Lutes a final regular season record of 21-4 overall and 14-2 in the NWC. 

If Whitworth wins at Lewis & Clark on Saturday (6:00 pm), PLU and Whitworth will be co-champions and NWC tiebreakers will give the Pirates the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament.

Brenna Bruil was in on five blocks and Haley Vick was part of four as the Pirates blocked George Fox 10 times in the match, their second-highest total for a three-set contest this season.

"I thought we were consistent and composed tonight," said Whitworth head coach Kati Bodecker. "We had another great blocking performance after refocusing halfway through the first set."

George Fox (4-21 overall, 3-12 NWC) looked like it might be poised for an upset after jumping out to a 13-8 lead in the opening set, forcing a Whitworth timeout.  But the Pirates responded with a 15-4 run out of that timeout to take control.  Bruil's kill ended the first frame in Whitworth's favor.

The second set was tied 8-8 before the Pirates used a 7-3 run to take a 15-11 lead.  GFU fought back to go ahead 19-17 on a Whitworth attack error.  But the Bucs finished on an 8-1 run to win the set.  Maddye Dinsmore and Cassandra Mendoza had service aces in the final spurt.

Smelling the win, Whitworth never trailed in the final set, jumping ahead 13-4 on a kill by Vick and cruising to the 25-14 victory.

"We came out with more competitive fire and executed offensively in the third set," Bodecker concluded.

Mendoza led Whitworth with nine kills, while Leonard added seven.  Mallorie Schoesler led the Pirates with 15 digs and Dinsmore posted 29 assists.  Whitworth hit .186 as a team.

Erin Campbell and Kylee Adderson had seven kills apiece for the Bruins.  Payton Shrum dished 20 assists.

Whitworth has won its last 13 NWC matches and its last nine matches overall.