Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Volleyball team made quick work of the Warriors of Life Pacific University Thursday afternoon in the Graham Athletic Center earning the straight sets victory 25-19, 25-23, 25-17.
The Poets go to 1-0 on the season and look to carry the momentum into the weekend as they take part in the Pacific Coast Classic hosted by Claremont-M-S over the next two days taking on George Fox (Fri. @ 9:00am), Stevens (Fr. @ 11:15am), Hendrix (Sat. @ 9:00am), and St. John Fisher (Sat. @ 11:15am).
The Purple & Gold utilized every player on the squad who was suited up to dismiss the Warriors in just over an hour behind a big front line, which combined for 12 blocks, with Alexis Mills (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) accumulating half of them with six (2 solo/4 assisted).
Former 1st Team All-SCIAC performer and AVCA All-West Region selection Rebecca Slattery (Los Altos, Calif.) continued where she left off from 2015 leading the charge on the offensive end with 12 kills on 24 attempts for a .333 kill percentage.
Olive Anagu (Culver City, Calif.) followed with seven of her own with nine digs, while Sydney Underwood (Spokane, WA) chipped in with five.
A quad of Poets moved around the front as setters with senior Jasmine Tong (Fullerton, Calif.) totaling nine assists, while sophomore Hannah Joyce (Newport Beach, Calif.) had 13.
Clarissa Standafer (Alta Loma, Calif.) led the backrow with nine digs and had seven assists on the afternoon, while Joyce registered a team high three service aces.
It was a back and forth first set, with neither team taking a large lead. Whittier hit .312 but was followed closely by Life Pacific who brought it hitting .231 themselves. In the second Whittier jumped ahead quickly 14-5 and it looked like they would go on cruise control the rest of the way but Life Pacific rallied to pull within five at 19-14 and then two moments later 21-19 but that's as close as they would get as Dominique Almuena (La Mirada, Calif.) would finish off the frame with three straight service points.
In the final set, Whittier again found themselves in front early 10-4 but again couldn't hold the large lead allowing the Warriors to battle back to again get within three but WC was able to weather the storm and win seven of the last eight points to clinch the sweep.
