FOREST GROVE, Ore. – The quartet of Shae Kanakaole, Natalia Zea, Megan Bafus and Abby Seethoff accounted for all but six kills for Whitman College's attack Friday night but the visiting Missionaries weren't able to hold off host Pacific (Ore.) University which rallied from a one-game deficit to rattle off three consecutive games to allow the Boxers to take a 3-1 Northwest Conference volleyball win at the Stoller Center.

Whitman (8-13, 4-8 NWC) never trailed in taking the first game, 25-18, from Pacific (6-13, 2-9) before the Boxers would return the favor in taking Game 2, 25-21, leading from start to finish.

The Missionaries responded in Game 3 with a solid start, breaking out to a 7-4 lead and then a 9-6 advantage but three straight points by Pacific knotted the game at 9-9. Kanakaole registered a kill on the next point to move Whitman back ahead but the lead was brief as the Boxers reeled off four consecutive points and then maintained their advantage in capturing the game, 25-21, to move within one win of a match victory.

As in the third game Whitman started strong, racing out to a 4-0 lead before extending the advantage to six at 10-4 and later at 16-10. The lead grew to seven at 19-12 but Pacific stormed back with a 10-2 run to pull ahead 22-21. A Pacific attacking error evened the score at 22-22 and Whitman slipped ahead with Jordan Riley's service ace but the Boxers strung together the final three points of the game to win 25-23 and seal the match, 3-1.

Zea put together a good night at the net for Whitman adding a match-best six block assists to her nine kills, trailing only Kanakaole's 12 kills on the attack. Bafus added nine kills with Seethoff chipping in eight kills to go along with five block assists, 10 digs and one service ace. Kanakaole also came up with 10 digs but she and Seethoff trailed Hannah Linsenmayer's team-high 24 digs during the loss.

Pacific's attack was led by Una Areta's 14 kills and Haley Bedell's 11.

The Missionaries have the rest of the weekend off, finally jumping back into action on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 when Linfield College visits the Sherwood Athletic Center on Friday for a 7 p.m. match followed by Saturday's home contest at 5 p.m. against Willamette University.