Press Release
Overall Record: 5-2 (Home: 0-0, Away: 2-1, Neutral: 3-1) /
Northwest Conference: 0-0 (Home: 0-0, Away: 0-0)
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HIGHLIGHTS:
* Recent Games: Bruins Go 5-2 in Pair of Season-Opening Tournaments
* Coming Up: Conference Play Opens in Eastern Washington
* Panico BAA Athlete of the Week, Twice HM for NWC Honors
* NWC Stats: Five Bruins Among Early Stats Leaders
* Career Lists: Batchelder Moves into Top Ten in Service Aces
RECENT GAMES: Bruins Go 5-2 in Pair of Season-Opening Tournaments
Aug. 31 - George Fox 3, Eastern Oregon 1 (30-27, 30-28, 17-30, 30-20) at Willamette Tournament
(Press Release / Box Score)
Sept. 1 - George Fox 3, California-Santa Cruz 1 (30-23, 30-18, 27-30, 30-25) at Willamette Tournament
(Press Release / Box Score)
Sept. 1 - George Fox 3, at Willamette 1 (24-30, 30-18, 30-27, 30-17) at Willamette Tournament
(Press Release / Box Score)
Sept. 7 - George Fox 3, Principia 0 (30-22, 30-21, 30-19) at Pacific Coast Classic
(Press Release / Box Score)
Sept. 7 - at Pomona-Pitzer 3, George Fox 2 (30-26, 28-30, 23-30, 30-20, 11-15) at Pacific Coast Classic
(Press Release / Box Score)
Sept. 8 - Haverford 3, George Fox 1 (19-30, 22-30, 30-21, 24-30) at Pacific Coast Classic
(Press Release / Box Score)
Sept. 8 - George Fox 3, at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 0 (32-30, 30-28, 30-27) at Pacific Coast Classic
(Press Release / Box Score)
COMING UP: Conference Play Opens in Eastern Washington
* Fri., Sept. 14, 7:00 pm - at Whitman College, Walla Walla, Wash. (NWC)
* Sat., Sept. 15, 5:00 pm - at Whitworth University, Spokane, Wash. (NWC)
Whitman (4-4, NWC 0-0): Northwest Conference opener for both teams ... The Whitman Missionaries were picked to finish 4th in the pre-season Northwest Conference coaches' poll, the Bruins 6th ... Whitman has won the last five meetings, including all three last year (3-1 at the Puget Sound Invitational, 3-0 in Walla Walla, 3-1 in Newberg) ... The Bruins' last win in the series was 3-0 in Newberg on Nov. 5, 2004 ... The Missionaries are 7th in the NWC in hitting (.158), 5th in opponents' hitting (.176), 8th in kills (12.44), 6th in assists (11.64), 5th in blocks (1.70), 3rd in aces (2.28), and 5th in digs (17.36) ... Rosa Brey is 2nd in the NWC in hitting (.409), 9th in kills (3.12), 4th in blocks (1.00) ... Kristan Brown is 6th in assists (10.20) ... Kaelyn Merkel is 4th in digs (4.24) ... Whitman next hosts Pacific Saturday at 5 p.m. ...
Whitworth (5-3, NWC 0-0): The Whitworth Pirates were picked to finish 5th in the pre-season Northwest Conference coaches' poll ... Whitworth has won the last seven meetings, including both last year (3-0 in Spokane, 3-2 in Newberg) ... The Bruins' last win in the series was 3-1 in Spokane on Oct. 18, 2003 ... The Pirates are 8th in the NWC in hitting (.148), 1st in opponents' hitting (.110), 1st in kills (14.04), 2nd in assists (12.86), 8th in blocks (1.41), 1st in aces (3.07), and 1st in digs (20.36) ... Sarah Rusch is 4th in the NWC in kills (4.21) ... Holly Ridings is 4th in assists (10.71), 6th in aces (0.57) ... Cassie Moore is 1st in aces (1.00), 1st in digs (6.32) ... Whitworth hosts Pacific Friday before meeting the Bruins, then visits Willamette Friday, Sept. 21, at 7 p.m. ...
Visit the Northwest Conference web site for the latest NWC Volleyball Standings.
COACH STEVE GRANT
Steve Grant (Biola '69) is 522-333 (.611) in his 26th season as a college head coach, all at George Fox. He entered this season ranked 9th in victories among all-time active D-III coaches. He was Northwest Conference Coach of the Year in 1998, NAIA District 2 Coach of the Year in 1984 and 1990, and NCCAA National Coach of the Year in 1984 and 1987 when his teams won NCCAA national championships. Click here for the complete bio on Coach Grant.
BRUIN BITS:
* Panico BAA Athlete of the Week, Twice HM for NWC Honors
Sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Panico was named the Bruin Athletic Association Women's Athlete of the Week for Sept. 3-9, and also received honorable mention for Northwest Conference Player of the Week for Sept. 3-9, the second straight week she has been so honored.
In four matches in the Pacific Coast Classic Sept. 7-8, Panico had 55 kills (3.67 kpg) while hitting .239 (55 k, 12 e, 180 ta), with 73 digs (4.87 dpg), 5 assists, a service ace, and 4 block assists. She was named to the All-Tournament Team as the Bruins went 2-2. She had 11 kills and 17 digs in a 3-0 win over Principia, 21 and 26 in 3-2 loss at Pomona-Pitzer, 13 and 17 in a 3-1 loss to Haverford, and 10 and 13 in a 3-0 win at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
For the week of Aug. 27-Sept. 2, she collected 40 kills (3.33 kpg) and 49 digs (4.08 dpg) in three matches, with 7 aces and 4 block assists. She had 14 kills and 19 digs vs. Eastern Oregon, 11 and 10 vs. California-Santa Cruz, and 15 and 20 at Willamette.
Panico currently ranks 6th in the NWC in kills (3.52, T) and 3rd in digs (4.52).
* 2007 Honors
- Jennifer Panico - Bruin Athletic Association Women's Athlete of the Week (Sept. 3-9); NWC Player of the Week (HM-Aug. 27-Sept. 2, HM-Sept. 3-9); Pacific Coast Classic All-Tournament Team (Sept. 7-8)
* Big Day for Knights in UC-Santa Cruz Match
Amy Batchelder, now in her fourth season as the Bruins' setter, was known as Amy Knight for her first three seasons before getting married this past summer. On Sept. 1, the Bruins played California-Santa Cruz in the Willamette Tournament in Salem, Ore. - and the setter for the Banana Slugs was named Amy Knight!
"Yeah, it was kind of bizarre playing against someone with my name," admitted Batchelder, "and to be playing the same position - how weird is that? At least we had different numbers!"
The Bruins' Batchelder/Knight wears #5 and is from Yakima, Wash.; UCSC's Knight wears #19 and is from San Juan Bautista, Calif. As far as Batchelder knows, the two are not related. Batchelder had 42 assists in the match, Knight 44, as the Bruins won 3-1.
"I'd think they probably set an NCAA record for most assists in a match by players with the same name," commented George Fox coach Steve Grant about the unusual matchup.
* NWC Stats: Five Bruins Among Early Stats Leaders
Through matches of Sept. 13, George Fox ranks 2nd in the NWC in opponents' hitting (.124), digs (20.19), 3rd in assists (12.85), kills (13.81), blocks (2.37), 4th in service aces (2.19) ...
- Elizabeth Anderson is 1st in blocks (1.30, T) ...
- Jennifer Panico is 3rd in digs (4.52), 6th in kills (3.52, T) ...
- Amy Batchelder is 4th in aces (0.59), 5th in assists (10.63), 9th in digs (3.70) ...
- Natalie Pickett is 3rd in blocks (1.09) ...
- Jenna Dohren is 6th in digs (4.11) ...
Visit the Northwest Conference web site for the latest NWC Volleyball Statistics.
* Career Lists: Batchelder Moves into Top Ten in Service Aces
- Elizabeth Anderson, with 35 blocks on the season, has boosted her career total to 342, 5th on the all-time list. Ahead is Amy Schultens (347, 1995 & 1997-98) ... With 78 kills on the season, she has 752 in her career and needs 24 to pass Joanna Lofgren (775, 1994-95) for 10th on the all-time list ...
- Amy Batchelder, with 287 assists on the season, has 2,659 for her career, 6th on the all-time list. Ahead are Stacy Wright (2,681, 1988-90) and Kari Guyer (2,704, 1994-97) ... With 16 aces on the season, she has 96 in her career and has passed Nicole Bostic (87, 2000-03), Kari Bashford-Cline (87, 1992-94), and Rachel Evans (88, 1995-98) for 9th on the all-time list. Ahead is Shelly Schultens (122, 1999-2002) ...