Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College volleyball team pushed the Chapman Panthers to the brink Saturday afternoon but were unable to come away with the upset as Chapman held on in five winning 17-25, 25-20, 24-26, 25-13, 15-10.

Whittier drops their second consecutive five setter a day after falling to the University of Redlands.  Whittier used a .286 hitting percentage in the first set and a 5-0 run early thanks to four kills from Alayna Rigo (Chino Hills, Calif.) and Rebecca Slattery (Los Altos, Calif.) that gave WC a small lead that they would add to midway through the frame going out to a lead as big as 20-13.  Despite a mini comeback from Chapman late, the Poets managed to shut the door with three straight kills from Rigo and Slattery.

In the second set Chapman found their rhythm hitting .316 as a team, went out in front by as much as 18-11 but saw the Purple & Gold come from behind to pull within three behind a 4-0 run with a kill from Rigo, two service aces from Torrey Mitsunaga (Culver City, Calif.) and a kill from Casie Lowden (Glendora, Calif.) but it wouldn't be enough as the Panthers would go on to even the match.

The third set proved to be a battle till the very end with the Poets coming from behind late to pull off the win.  They found themselves in a hole 18-13 and then faced a set point at 24-19 but following a Slattery kill senior Alyssa Acosta (Whittier, Calif.) took over serving out the set with six straight points that put the Poets in front 2-1.

Playing to stay alive in the match, Chapman responded hitting a remarkable .533 in the fourth set led by Val Geiger who controlled the middle.  CU jumped out in front quickly 16-7 and didn't let up rolling to the easy 25-13 win evening the match at 2-2. 

In the deciding fifth set, Chapman again jumped out in front 3-0 and then 5-2 but saw a mini comeback from the Poets pulling within two at 8-6 with kills from Lowden and Lindsey Kish (Costa Mesa, Calif.).  But a 4-1 run transpired immediately following from CU putting the Poets in a hole 12-7.  But they didn't go away winning back to back points to pull within three.  After a service error from Chapman that once again pulled WC within three an attacking error by Lowden and a kill by Geiger sealed the victory for the Panthers. 

Lowden finished the match with a team and season high 15 kills on 30 attempts for a .433 hitting percentage.  Rigo finished the match with 13 kills and 13 digs, Slattery tallied 13 kills as well along with a season high five blocks (2 Solo, 3 Assisted) while Lauren Whiteman (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) tallied 11 kills.

Defensively, Acosta and Adriana Moore (La Habra, Calif.) led the back row with 15 digs each, while Mitsunaga had 26 assists. 

For Chapman, Geiger led all scorers with 22 kills on 41 attempts for a .390 hitting percentage, while Michelle Hammer totaled 17 kills and 10 digs.  Kat Marusich also recorded double digit kills with 15 on 26 attempts for a .500 hitting percentage, while Carleigh Mueller and Andi Frisina had 18 and 15 digs, each respectively. 

Whittier has two matches left with the first against Caltech on the road on Tuesday, October 29 beginning at 7:30pm before hosting La Verne Friday, November 1 beginning at 7:30pm for senior day.