MCMINNVILLE, ORE. – Playing the first 13 matches of the season on the road, the Linfield Wildcats had their home opener on Saturday night against the George Fox Bruins. Wildcats lost 3-0 to the Bruins.
 
The Wildcats have lost four in a row including the first two conference matches, they now sit at 4-10 overall. The Bruins were able to get their first conference win of the season and sit at 4-7 overall.
 
The Bruins dominated the first two sets of the match, winning the first one 25-14 and the second, 25-19.
 
The Wildcats were trailing 12-4 in the first before making a 4-0 run thanks to back-to-back aces from Aylea Dixon, but the Bruins made sure that the Wildcats could not catch them at the end of the set.
 
In the second set, Linfield was up 5-0 on an ace by Raelynn Hammock, but George Fox closed out the second set on a 10-0 run to push Linfield on the brink.
 
The Wildcats were down but not out in the third, scoring three straight points to tie it at 22 on an ace by Leisa Eto, but a service error at match point gave the Bruins their first conference win of the season.
 
The rowdy crowd at the Ted Wilson Gymnasium was able to help the Wildcats stay in the third set, but a service error did them in.
 
Neither squad was great in finishing their attacks as George Fox just landed 19.7 percent of the shots and Linfield landed 14 percent.
 
Maya Nakasone continues to be a digs machine for the Wildcats grabbing 12 on Saturday night, she has had double digit digs in eight of the last nine.
 
Anikalea Keliiheleua had nine kills in the match and Sofia Zielinski led the way with 11 assists.
 
Linfield is now 23-28 against George Fox, with the Bruins winning the last five in the all-time head to head.
 
Through the first week of conference play, the Wildcats are tied for eighth place in the standings with Whitman.
 
UP NEXT
Linfield heads up to the Rose City to take on Lewis & Clark on Friday night, before returning home to face Pacific Lutheran on Saturday night at 6 p.m.