Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. (Oct. 30, 2021) – The Whittier College volleyball team did right by its six senior athletes on Saturday night, giving Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges, the third-ranked team in the nation all it could handle on Senior Night.

Fueled by an early boost from junior outside hitter Kaitlin Bullock (Rocklin, Calif. / Humboldt State), the Poets ambushed the Athenas with a 25-19 first set. Although the Poets had mathematically been eliminated from SCIAC Postseason Tournament contention earlier in the day, it did not stop them from giving the 117 fans in attendance a show in the final game of 2021. While the visitors would find their form in the second frame with a sublime .500 kill percentage, the Poets refused to back down and put themselves in a position to win each of the final two sets.

Despite trailing 24-18 in the third, Whittier went on to win the next four points, three of which came on the serve of sophomore setter Jordan Duyan-Heard (San Dimas, Calif. / San Dimas), while two of the points were ended by kills from sophomore Xenia Villagomez (Corona, Calif. / Santiago). On a night in which six Poets were recognized for their contributions to the program, the future of the team shone equally as bright. The run ultimately forced the Athenas into calling a timeout to regroup.

The fourth and final set took on an entirely different tone, with the Poets hanging with one of the nation's elite teams until the bitter end, even taking a 9-8 lead early on. CMS, however, would not lead by more than four points the rest of the way, as five out of a team-leading 12 kills from senior outsider hitter Katelyn Popoff (Hacienda Heights, Calif. / Sonora) stymied any momentum the visitors hoped to gain. When the Athenas attempted to pull ahead later in the set, a hard ace from Duyan-Heard that knocked down the opposing receiver helped get the Poets back on track and they eventually tied the game at 21 thanks to a kill from freshman Analise Kusleika (Upland, Calif. / Claremont). Whittier then went on to win one of the longest rallies of the match to once again tip the scales back in their favor, with Popoff getting credit for finishing the point. Ultimately, the visitors would prevail in a back-and-forth deciding frame, but Poets can hold their head high given the quality and quantity of contributions from up and down the lineup. Junior setter Della Trimble (Saratoga, Calif. / West Valley College) hit 40 assists for the fifth time this year, and co-led the home team in digs along with senior libero Julia Trujillo (Chino, Calif. / Univ. of La Verne).

In addition to Popoff and Trujillo, the Poets recognized seniors Madisen Diaz (Hacienda Heights, Calif. / Bishop Amat), Marya Ghafur (Lancaster, Calif. / Fresno Pacific), Niloofar Mojab (Tehran, Iran / Tarrant County) and Franki Piloto (Ontario, Calif. / Pomona Catholic) during a pre-match ceremony.

The Purple & Gold ultimately matched its SCIAC win total from the 2019-20 season, going .500 for the second-straight year. Additionally, four players crossed the 100-kill threshhold: Popoff (303), Piloto (170), Villagomez (158) and Bullock (113), with Popoff hitting the 300-kill milestone for the second year of her intercollegiate career. Although the Poets will be down one of the most prolific players in team history in 2022, they will be returning a slew of players who stepped into primary roles in 2021 and will look to raise the bar in 2022.

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