Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
Article by: Abby Salmon (Sports Information Intern)
WHITTIER, Calif. – For the first time in program history the Whittier College Volleyball team pulled off an upset sweep over Cal Lutheran University 25-18, 25-19, 25-21.
The previous time these two programs met, Whittier dropped a straight sets decision on the road. But Tuesday night the Purple & Gold put together their best performance of the season as they picked up their second straight win against the No. 3 ranked program in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC). After dropping six in a row Whittier has battled back to win back to back games as they improve to 10-13, 5-7 SCIAC. They also sit in a tie for 5th with Pomona-Pitzer but are now just a game out of 4th place.
"Right now we have just tried to be consistent with what we do at practice and continue to show the players that we are still in this and can do something special in the second half of the conference schedule," explained Head Coach Chris Duarte McDermott. "We just need to continue to play like we know we can and push every team from start to finish."
It was kill after kill in the beginning of the match for Whittier as Kathea Schamblin (Bakersfield, Calif.), Katelyn Popoff (Hacienda Heights, Calif.), Franki Piloto (Ontario, Calif.), and Abby Salmon (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) all got strikes to earn the team's first four points. The offense persisted with the help of setter Haley Petruescu (La Mirada, Calif.) who assisted four more kills in seven points, helping the Poets extend the lead 10-7. Cal Lutheran wasn't able to answer back offensively as Alaina Rhee (Kent, WA) stepped up defensively with a solo block and a block assist with Aubrey Caires (Gardnerville, NV). The Regals struggled to keep up with the consistent Whittier offense and was only able to get within three points for the rest of the set. CLU fought back to get within four at 20-16 but that's as close as they would get down the stretch as Whittier would close out the frame on a 5-2 run, which included kills from Caires and Rhee.
Rhee continued to make her presence known in the second set with the Poets first three points. The frame remained tight after that CLU holding a one-point advantage at 17-16. But this lead was short-lived as Whittier would go on a 6-0 run, which included a pair of kills from Schamblin and a service ace from Makayla Wright (Covina, Calif.) that moved the score to 22-17. Samantha Landrum ended the run with a kill for CLU but again Whittier was able to finish late with Rhee and Piloto connecting that put CLU in a 2-0 hole.
Whittier started off slowly in the third set trailing 4-0. Whittier though was able to get four of the next five points with kills from Rhee, Piloto, and Schamblin. The score remained tight after that with both teams not able to grab a lead as many as two until the 16-14 mark when Marissa Montoya (Glendora, Calif.) got a small three-point serving run that gave WC a 19-15 lead. But the run didn't stop there as Whittier would grab four of the next five points behind a strong serving attack from Madisen Diaz (Hacienda Heights, Calif.) that gave the Purple & Gold a 23-16 advantage. CLU made a small push with four unanswered capitalizing on two WC errors but after that Schamblin and Rhee were able to connect for the two kills that gave Whittier the clean sweep.
Schamblin led the offense with a huge double double with 13 kills and 18 digs. Rhee added 10 kills along with combining for three blocks, while hitting a career high .714 and Popoff registered nine kills. Up front Wright added a double double with 22 assists and 11 digs and Petruescu finished with 19 assists and six pick-ups. Salmon also had a strong night in the middle adding six kills, hitting .556 along with three blocks and Katie Engle (Whittier, Calif.) finished with 12 pick-ups, five assists, and a service ace.
Whittier returns to the court this Saturday, October 26 when they travel to Orange, Calif. To take on Chapman University. Game time is set for 4:00pm.
