WHITTIER, Calif. - The Whittier College volleyball team split its two matches on Saturday afternoon as it earned a 3-2 win over King's (Pa.) College in the first game of the day and feel to Chapman University in straight sets in the final game of the day.

The Poets (7-10) rebounded from a 25-12 loss in the first set against the Monarchs to pull out the five set match. This was the first five-set match of the year for the Poets.

Whittier took the second and third sets, 25-21 and 25-16, before King's forced a decisive fifth set.

The Poets hung on for the 16-14 win to earn the victory over the visitors from Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Aya Nakano registered a game-high 28 kills on 64 attempts for a .297 attacking percentage. Vanessa Amran totaled 41 assists and two blocks (1 solo, 2 assist). Justine Martinez had her hands on a team-high 21 digs and Kashima Patridge had four services aces.

 Ashley Terich and Alyssa Carillo finished with three and two services aces, each, respectively.

As a team the Poets had 48 kills on 170 attempts and an attacking percentage of 0.82. The purple and gold totaled 10 team blocks as Melissa Johnson finished with five blocking assists.

The second game of the day saw the Poets lose its second game of the season to Chapman.  The Panthers rolled in the first set, 25-12. CU had 17 kills as a team and an attacking percentage of .412. The Poets broke even with six kills and six errors.

Chapman won the second set, 25-16, despite having fewer kills than Whittier at 10-8.

In the third and final set the Poets held a 22-20 lead but the team served out of order which took away the previous point and awarded the Panthers a point. The momentum swing helped Chapman to the 25-22 win.

Amran added 23 assists to her daily total and Nakano finished with 10 kills and 16 digs. Terich had the lone ace for Whittier.

WC returns to action on Tuesday, October 20, as it hosts Cal Lutheran at 7:30 pm.