NEWBERG, Ore.  A shortened roster due a few injuries, coupled with taking that shortened bench on the road could have been a few of the ingredients baked into a rough night. But Whitman came away with one of its more uplifting matches of the season Friday at George Fox University, pounding out a fifth-game win to take a 3-2 Northwest Conference win over the host Bruins in women's volleyball action at the Wheeler Sports Center.

Kalli Dickey, Megan Henry and Codie Conching each reached double digits in kills for Whitman (2-8, 2-3 NWC). Conching also added three service aces, of the Blues' eight on the night, to help take down the Bruins (3-5, 2-3).

Until the deciding fifth game, the night was feast or famine for both teams as they combined for just two lead changes in the 186 total points registered throughout the 21-25, 25-17, 25-14, 11-25 and15-8 match.

Though the Blues made the opening game close, late, Fox never trailed, registering a Danyle Dupray kill on the first point and working its way to a quick lead in the match.

Adding that type of loss to their injuries and travels seemed to be another item to stir into the pot that seemed like a recipe for defeat. A funny thing happened, though.

The Blues stepped up.

Mightily.

A 1-0 lead in the second turned into a 5-1 advantage, which turned into an 18-7 lead in a second-game win that lit the fire.

Fox scored first in the third game, but a Dupray attacking error provided the Blues with a point and the sideout. Sierra Myers then dropped the first of two consecutive service aces onto the Bruins for the night's first lead change and the rout was on. Once again Whitman reached an 18-7 lead and this time around kept the pressure on in their 11-point game victory.

The fire that blazed, however, was quickly extinguished in the fourth game as Fox found its own source of energy and raced out to a 10-0 lead, eventually reeling off the most lopsided game win of the night to square the match.

Fox, again, scored first to open the deciding game, only to have Dickey bring it back to all-square with one of her 12 kills on the night.

A Dupray kill brought back the serve and a lead, but both were surrendered on an attacking error on the next point.

An Ashtyn Butler attacking error pushed Whitman in front, 3-2 and only the second lead change of the match, but Butler redeemed herself with a kill on the next to knot things up at 3-3.

Two more attacking errors by the Bruins lifted the Blues back into the lead, a position they wouldn't relinquish.

The Blues weren't stringing together more than two points in a row, but they were stringing together two points in a row while surrendering only one to Fox's attack, while inching toward victory.

With Whitman nearing victory at 13-8, the two teams put together the longest point in volleyball history -- or so it seemed. The ball crossed the net 16 times in addition to four zero-attacks that continued the non-stop, riveting action. Players weren't only hitting the floor with regularity, but chicken-winging saved digs, racing nearly into the stands to bring back errant passes for at worst free balls back over the net.

George Fox blockers thwarted consecutive attacks at the end of that rally but the third time was the charm for Whitman as setter Anna Dawson pitched one high to the outside left where Dickey pounded her attack down the left line to put an end to the extended point.

A Bruins timeout after the rally proved futile as on the next point Henry came up with a dig on Fox attack, Dawson tossed up another one to Dickey, who mashed her opportunity inside the block this time. A Fox player somehow got underneath the rocket but it had carried such force that the dig sailed not just over the net but well out of bounds for the Blues' winning point.

Conching, moved to outside hitter from her defensive specialist spot with the team's injury dilemma, and Henry finished the night with 10 kills each, with Dawson dishing out a match-high 39 set assists. Top defensive honors went to Conching who came up with a match-best 27 digs for the Blues who out-scooped the Bruins, 90-83.

Whitman heads next to Lewis & Clark College Saturday for a 6 p.m. NWC match.