Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

CLAREMONT, Calif. – Women's volleyball split a pair of games Saturday as they fell in straight sets to Pomona-Pitzer before sweeping Kenyon moving their record to 12-8, 4-4 SCIAC.

Playing without middle hitter Rebecca Slattery (Mountain View, Calif.) who has been plagued with an ankle injury the Poets were unable to upend the Sagehens of Pomona-Pitzer before rolling past Kenyon in the afternoon. 

Game 1 (Pomona-Pitzer – L, 25-16, 25-23, 25-22)

In a much-anticipated showdown between both of these programs PP was able to gain the upper hand sweeping the Poets despite being pushed to the brink in each set.

After seeing Pomona-Pitzer hit .524 as a team in the first set, Whittier was unable to get any momentum in the next two despite seeing Alayna Rigo (Chino Hills, Calif.) finish with 10 kills, while totaling 10 digs.  She was joined by Casie Lowden (Glendora, Calif.) who finished with eight kills on 17 attempts for a .353 hitting percentage.  In the back row, senior libero Alyssa Acosta (Whittier, Calif.) finished with a team high 11 digs, while middle blocker Courtney DeLano (Riverside, Calif.) had seven.     

For Pomona-Pitzer, Yale transfer Allie Frappier totaled a game high 21 kills on 43 attempts for a .326 hitting percentage, while three players recorded double digit dig efforts including Michelle Schultz, Frappier, and Beth Smilkstein.  

Game 2 (Kenyon – W, 25-22, 25-16, 25-14)

In the second game on the day the Poets cruised past Kenyon College led by Rigo and Malia Valdivieso (Chula Vista, Calif.) who each recorded 13 kills apiece.  

The Poets trailed by as many as five points in the first set before rallying to add four unanswered points to pull within one.  A block by Lauren Whiteman (Mission Viejo, Calif.) and Lowden off of an attack by Katie Goulder allowed the Poets to pull ahead 21-20, before they rode out the final four points to win the set before rolling to the straight sets victory.  

Acosta in the back row finished with 14 digs, while Torrey Mitsunaga (Culver City, Calif.) and Alessandra Rios (La Habra, Calif.) each had 20 and 19 assists, each respectively.

Whittier jumps back into action as they return tomorrow, Sunday, October 13 when they host Susquehanna at 1:00pm.