SPOKANE, Wash. – Alyssa Baird had 16 kills to lead Whitworth to a 3-1 win over visiting George Fox in a Northwest Conference volleyball match on Friday night at the Whitworth Fieldhouse.

The Pirates (17-6 overall, 11-2 NWC) defeated the Bruins (6-13, 3-10) 25-14, 25-12, 20-25, 25-18 to stay within a game of first place in the NWC standings.

Whitworth rolled to an easy win in the opening set.  The Bucs went ahead 9-2 on a kill from Lindsey Short and extended the margin to 14-4 after a kill by Lauren Kremer.  Kremer's service ace made the score 18-6.  GFU used an 8-5 run to get within 23-14 before consecutive errors by the Bruins ended the set.  Amblessed Okemgbo had five kills in the first game for the Pirates.

George Fox led 7-5 early in the second set before Whitworth took control with an 11-2 run.  Baird closed the set on a roll with four kills over the final seven Pirate points and finished with seven in the second game.  Whitworth hit .394 in the set with 15 kills and only two errors in 33 attacks.

The Pirates appeared poised to post a sweep after taking a 10-7 lead on another Baird kill.  George Fox answered with a 5-0 run to go ahead 12-10 after consecutive kills from Gracie Bearden.  The Bruins extended the margin to 18-13 on Bearden's service ace, forcing a Whitworth timeout.  The Bucs fought back to tie the game 19-19 on Kremer's kill before GFU closed on a 6-1 run, winning the game on Bearden's fifth kill of the third set.

The Bruins took the momentum into the fourth game, going up 5-3 early.  Whitworth responded with a 7-2 run.  George Fox was still within 18-16 before the Pirates closed out the match with another 7-2 run.  Baird had four more kills in the fourth set and Whitworth hit .303 as a team.

Baird's total of 16 kills is her second-highest of the season.  She added an ace and a block assist for 17.5 points and led the team with 15 digs.  Kremer finished with 15.0 points on 11 kills, two aces and four block assists.  Okemgbo had 11 kills and a solo block for 12.0 points.  Josephine Thompson and Mya Rodriguez dished 20 assists apiece to help the Pirates hit .283 as a team.  Thompson served three of the Bucs' six aces and Whitworth ended with 9.5 team blocks.

Bearden led George Fox with 10 kills, while Allaire Gilder had nine.  The Bruins hit .095 and finished with three team blocks.

Whitworth will finish out the regular season home schedule on Saturday night against Lewis & Clark.