Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Whittier College Volleyball team who had won three straight coming into Saturday ran into a tough test with the No. 2 ranked team in the country in Claremont-M-S.

Whittier however pushed the Athenas who have rarely been tested by forcing them to a fourth set before falling 7-25, 15-25, 25-19, 12-25.

The Poets drop to 5-11, 3-4 SCIAC, while CMS remains undefeated on the season at 14-0, 6-0 SCIAC. The Purple & Gold got off to a slow start and didn't have an answer for the combo of Margaux Arntson and Nicole Kerkhof who totaled 15 kills.

Whittier rallied in the second set and kept it close pulling within three at the 16-13 mark following three attacking errors by the Athena's but that's as close as they would get as CMS would finish off the frame with an 8-2 run that put WC in an early hole 2-0.

Whittier didn't go away quietly though and came back strong in the third getting kills from Casie Lowden (Glendora, Calif.) and Rebecca Slattery (Los Altos, Calif.) to jump in front 3-0.  They then extended that lead to 7-2 with kills again from Slattery and then from Jasmine Tong (Fullerton, Calif.) and would continuing rolling keeping the momentum in their favor.

Olive Anagu (Culver City, Calif.) then got into the mix adding two kills herself that put the Athena's in a hole 13-5 and Whittier would roll from there using a 5-1 run soon after before winning four of the final six points. 

In the fourth, Whittier tried to keep it rolling getting a service ace and kill from Tong but five straight by Claremont-M-S would turn the momentum back and CMS would hold onto it as they would go on to win 25-12 earning the four set victory. 

Slattery again led the Poets on offense finishing with 14 kills on 39 attempts for a .308 hitting percentage.  Jazmyn Sudbrook-Johnson (Fremont, Calif.) was next with seven kills, while Tong up front posted 21 assists.   In the back row it was again Clarissa Standafer (Alta Loma, Calif.) who registered 17 digs, while Camryn Purdom (Moreno Valley, Calif.) finished with 10 digs.        

Whittier returns to the court this Tuesday, October 4 as they take on Occidental College on the road beginning at 7:00pm.