Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

Article by: Abby Salmon (Sports Information Intern)

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Whittier College Volleyball team faced a tough matchup Saturday night as they took on No. 4 ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The Poets fell in three, 25-15, 25-14, 25-17 snapping their three-game winning streak.     

The Purple & Gold drop to .500 at 8-8, 3-2 SCIAC, while Claremont-M-S improves to 13-2, 4-0 SCIAC. 

Both teams came out strong offensively in the opening frame. Franki Piloto (Ontario, Calif.) contributed with an early kill and Valerie van der Linden (Auburn, Calif.) earned two of her own. Shortly after, CMS began building their lead thanks to a seven-point serving run from Phoebe Madsen. Alaina Rhee (Kent, WA) was then able to end the run with a kill, earning Whittier the sideout to put the score at 18-10. Down the stretch the Poets picked up another five points, but it wouldn't be enough to complete a comeback as they fell 25-15.

CMS raced ahead early in the second to make the score 8-2. It also wasn't until then that the Poets got their first kill from Katelyn Popoff (Hacienda Heights, Calif.).  Just like in the previous set, CMS got on a long serving run to further separate themselves from the Purple & Gold.  This time, the run was ended after six-points by a kill from Abby Salmon (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.). Even though the score read 22-9, the Purple & Gold kept pushing as Piloto, Rhee, Marissa Montoya (Glendora, Calif.), and Aubrey Caires (Gardnerville, NV) each got a kill to help get WC to 14. 

Madsen started off set three with another seven-point serving run for the Athenas until Piloto earned a Poet sideout with a kill, putting the score at 7-4. Whittier closed the gap as Piloto contributed with another kill coupled with Salmon and Caires earning a combo block, and Kathea Schamblin (Bakersfield, Calif.) picking up a service ace. However, CMS pulled away at 16-8.  Makayla Wright (Covina, Calif.) provided a spark at the end of the set helping the Poets with a pair of kills and Schamblin collecting another ace.

Piloto led the offense with six kills and was joined by Montoya with five.  She and Katie Engle (Whittier, Calif.) each added 11 digs each and Wright tallied nine to go with 13 assists. 

Whittier returns to the court tomorrow, Tuesday, October 1 when they host the University of La Verne beginning at 7:00pm.