Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. – The Leopards of the University of La Verne spoiled the Whittier College volleyball teams Senior Night Friday evening as they pulled off the 25-20, 25-18, 18-25, 25-22 victory.

Whittier under first year head coach Chris Duarte-McDermott finished the season 13-15, 4-11 SCIAC, which is tied for the second best record in the Whittier College volleyball record books tied with the 1999 team under head coach Kristi Vandenberg who also finished 13-15.

Prior to the game Whittier recognized their nine seniors who were taking part in their final game of their collegiate career.  These seniors included Alayna Rigo (Chino Hills, Calif.), Alyssa Acosta (Whittier, Calif.), Katie Lord (Upland, Calif.), Lindsey Kish (Costa Mesa, Calif.), Maria Montero (Hemet, Calif.), Lauren Whiteman (Mission Viejo, Calif.), Courtney DeLano (Riverside, Calif.), Alessandra Rios (La Habra, Calif.), and Adriana Moore (La Habra, Calif.). 

The previous time these two teams met, La Verne was on the losing end of a 25-21, 25-16, 25-23 sweep of the Poets, but this time around the Leos used an early 11-3 run in the first set coupled with a quick 6-2 lead in the second set en route to the four set victory. 

Whittier mounted a comeback in the third set jumping out in the front for the first time during the match, which they expanded to a 23-13 lead.  Despite five points late from the Leopards Whittier managed to get the final two points with a kill by Casie Lowden (Glendora, Calif.) and a service error by ULV to pull the 25-18 win.

In a last ditch effort the Poets looked to force a fifth and deciding set pulling within one 16-15 with back to back kills from Rebecca Slattery (Los Altos, Calif.) and Kish.  La Verne would go out in front by four 20-16 and 22-18 but the Poets would battle back to pull within two 23-21 with back to back kills from Rigo and Kish.  After a kill by Brittany Yaxley that gave the Leos a match-point, Whiteman would come up big with a kill to keep the Poets in striking distance but that would be the last point for the purple & Gold as a ball handling error by the Poets would hand the victory to La Verne.       

Rigo led the Poets on offense with 13 kills on 32 attempts along with 11 digs, while Kish totaled a season high 11 kills on 27 attempts. Rios finished with a season high 22 assists, while Torrey Mitsunaga (Culver City, Calif.) had 14.  Acosta led the defensive unit with 12 digs, while Moore collected seven. 

Yaxley led all scorers with 18 kills on 45 attempts, while Mele Halalilo totaled eight kills on 17 attempts for a .412 hitting percentage.  Morgan Donohue collected 20 digs in the back row, while Ashlyn Cross tallied 11.