Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College women's volleyball team has much to celebrate this evening as they knocked off the Leopards of the University of La Verne 25-13, 25-17, 25-19 for the first time since 1998 when Whittier won in five games under head coach Kristi Vandenberg.
Tonight's win was a team effort and everyone played their part and when that happens Whittier is a tough team to play against. This evening Whittier finished when they got up and continued to put pressure on their opponent that made the difference in the victory.
Right from the get go, Whittier jumped out to an early 7-1 lead thanks to sophomore outside hitter Alayna Rigo who tallied three straight kills early helping the Poets cruise to a 25-13 win.
Rigo for the game, collected 11 kills on 27 attempts but came up big in the first game to help the Poets gain momentum and confidence early, helping them get through the early stages of the match.
Junior outside hitter Alyssa Sialaris who leads the SCIAC in kills per set came out strong with 14 kills on 31 attempts for a .323 hitting percentage. With the balance attack coming from Rigo and Sialaris, the Leopards were out of sorts on who to stop.
Coming up big though for the Poets and playing her best game of the season was freshman Katie Heard who finished the game with five kills on nine attempts for an astounding .556 hitting percentage but none coming bigger than in game two when the Poets were only up by two 5-3 and the Leopards had rattled off three straight points but Heard stepped up stopping the run and propelling the Poets to a 25-17 win.
Whittier shut down Randi Taylor-Toomay who is coming off being named the MVP in the Leopard Invitational which took place this past weekend. For the game, Taylor-Toomay finished with just two kills as Adriana Moore and Alyssa Acosta controlled the back row getting on the ground making it difficult for her to find any openings. Moore finished the game with 14 digs, while Acosta finished with nine.
Another big component of the Whittier success came from junior setter Alessandra Rios who finished with 4 kills, 37 assists, while collecting six block assists. She continues to move up in the SCIAC rankings in assists as she totals 627 for the season.
Whittier's offensive attack was balanced all evening forcing the Leopards to be on their heels all night, and with the loud crowd noise, it was difficult for them to communicate.
This was the best game of the season for Whittier as they open up the second round of SCIAC play beginning next Tuesday, October 18th as they take on the Bulldogs of the University of Redlands and they are determined to make an impact in the SCIAC and with this win they are poised to begin a big run to the top of the standings.
Whittier looks to continue their success on the court as they travel to Thousand Oaks, Calif. to take part in the Cal Lutheran Fall Classic on October 14-15 as they take on Wisconsin Lutheran, Widener, Rhodes, and Mary Washington.
