Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. – For the fourth time in five matches the Whittier College Poets have dropped a SCIAC matchup being swept as they fell 25-21, 25-14, 25-19 to the Leopards of the University of La Verne Tuesday evening. 

Whittier now drops to 7-8, 2-5 SCIAC, while La Verne improves to 14-2, 7-1 remaining atop the SCIAC standings.  Last season in 2012 the Poets swept the Leopards for the first time in Head Coach Ali Oliver's tenure but this evening the tides turned as the Leopards came out behind a big front line and a .306 hitting percentage led by Catie Logan who finished with 10 kills on 16 attempts.

Alyssa Sialaris led the Poets with 14 kills, while Alayna Rigo finished with nine.  Freshman Torrey Mitsunaga finished with fifteen assists, while Sialaris and Rigo finished with nine digs a piece. 

La Verne jumped out early in the first set 4-1 and then opened the lead to 10-5 and remained in front the rest of the first set despite a late comeback when the Poets rallied back from being down 20-11 to pull within five at 23-18.  But the comeback fell short as they fell 25-21.

In the second Whittier battled and fought their way to a 7-7 tie behind Ashley Vinsonhaler who recorded a service ace and a kill for the first two points followed by four kills by Sialaris.  After both teams swapped points La Verne then jumped out in front to open up a 17-10 lead behind a 6-0 run that ultimately led to La Verne clinching the second set. 

In the third set, Whittier found themselves in a hole once again fighting their back from being down 12-5 but they managed to chip away at the Leopard lead and pull within three at 20-17 but their rally was stopped short when La Verne rattled off four of the next five points to extend their lead to 23-17.  Then after an attacking error by Sialaris and a kill by Kayla Cribbs the Leopards were able to pull off the sweep.

Whittier hits the road as they travel to Thousand Oaks, Calif. on October 5 as they take on Juniata College (PA) beginning at 3:00pm before taking on the Regals of Cal Lutheran University in the nightcap at 7:00pm.