Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College volleyball team who was trying to break their three game losing streak has now dropped their fourth straight match Tuesday evening as they failed to hold an early lead after taking the first set falling 25-20, 22-25, 12-25, 14-25 to No. 23 Claremont-M-S.

The Poets provided a scare to the Athena's by taking the first set.  They held a slight advantage early and then moved the lead to 17-12 but CMS battled back to pull within one with a 4-0 run.  But that's as close as they would get as the Purple & Gold would go on to increase their lead back to four before wrapping up the first set with a kill up front by Courtney DeLano (Riverside, Calif.).

In the second, Whittier continued where they had left off going up 8-4 early but saw nine ties the rest of the way with neither team being able to take a substantial lead until the very end when CMS managed to pull it out with four unanswered points all coming from kills from Quinn Morrison, Regina Mullen and Audrey Breitwieser to even the match at one. 

After the second set it seemed the momentum had shifted and CMS had found their groove as they went on to roll past WC 25-12 and 25-14 en route to taking the match.  Casie Lowden (Glendora, Calif.), Lauren Whiteman (Mission Viejo, Calif.) and DeLano each recorded nine kills a piece with seven kills and 21 digs coming from Alayna Rigo (Chino Hills, Calif.).

Alyssa Acosta (Whittier, Calif.) in the back row for Whittier finished with a game high 25 digs, while Torrey Mitsunaga (Culver City, Calif.) finished with 22 assists and 10 digs.

For Claremont-M-S, Regina Mullen finished with a game high 20 kills on 55 attempts, while Audrey Breitwieser and Nicole Kerkhof recorded 16 and 13 kills, each respectively.

Whittier looks to snap their losing skid this Friday, October 25 when they travel to Redlands beginning at 7:30pm.