Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

POMONA, Calif. – The Whittier College volleyball team jumped out in front 2-1 against the Sagehens of Pomona-Pitzer Tuesday evening but saw the Sagehens rally back to win in a decisive fifth game winning the final four points to steal away the key SCIAC matchup.

With the win, the Sagehens improve to 7-4 overall and 2-1 in the SCIAC, while Whittier sees its record fall to 6-4 overall and 1-1 in the SCIAC with the loss. Game scores were 25-16, 15-25, 25-21, 16-25, 11-15.

Senior Alyssa Sialaris and junior Alayna Rigo tag teamed the offensive attack both registering double doubles with Sialaris posting 23 kills on 65 attempts for a .200 hitting percentage to go with 12 digs, while Rigo finished with 20 kills on 45 attempts for a .289 hitting percentage to go with 13 digs.

In the back row Lindsey Kish added to her dig total for the season finishing with 18 digs for the second time this season, while freshman Torrey Mitsunaga finished with a game high 51 assists to go with eight kills stemming from dumps. 

In game one it remained close throughout with neither team able to take a big lead until the  15-13 mark when the Poets rattled off five of the next six points to increase their lead to 19-14 a lead they would carry to finish off the first set.

In game two, Pomona-Pitzer stormed out to an 8-1 lead led by Michelle Schultz who finished with 12 kills for the match.  Whittier was able to pull within eight at 14-6 but that's as close as they would get as the Sagehens went on to grab the second set.  But Whittier wouldn't back down and came back in game three in a battle that came down to the wire.  With the third set tied up at 17-17, Whittier won five of the next six points to increase their lead to 22-18 but saw the Sagehens rattle off back to back to back points to pull within one but that's as close as they would get as Sialaris closed out the game with three kills of her own.

In game four, Pomona-Pitzer continued battling and got a tiny lead midway through the set and was able to hold that lead despite an onslaught of kills from Rigo that pulled the Poets within one at 13-12.  But that comeback was shortlived as Pomona-Pitzer rattled off nine of the next ten points to extend their lead to 22-13, which helped them to post the fourth set victory.

In the final set, Whittier jumped out in front 5-1 but saw the Sagehens come back to tie the game up at 6-6 and then at 11-11.  Then to close out the game, Pomona-Pitzer used a 4-0 run and a big block of Sialaris to clinch the fifth and deciding set. 

Whittier returns to the court as they host Occidental College, Friday, September 21 with game time set to begin at 7:30pm.