Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

REDLANDS, Calif. (Oct. 8, 2021) – The Whittier College volleyball team's senior attacking duo of Katelyn Popoff (Hacienda Heights, Calif. / Sonora) and Franki Piloto (Ontario, Calif. / Pomona Catholic) each had 10 kills on the nose when the Poets beat the University of Redlands on the road, 3-0, on Friday evening. The standout performances helped lead Whittier to its second win in as many tries and its third SCIAC win of the 2021 season.

The victory did not come easy, as the Bulldogs put up strong resistance throughout all three sets. However, the Poets' insistence to lean on their upperclasswomen in the crucial moments allowed them to be just enough better in each frame to come away with a straight-set win. Additionally, both Popoff and Piloto each had two of their most all-around consistent games of the season with both players distributing their kills throughout the match as evenly as can be while Piloto committed just one era to finish with a .375 attacking percentage, her highest of the season with at least 24 attempts.

Meanwhile, junior setter Della Trimble (Saratoga, Calif. / West Valley College) factored in as one of two players to finish the match with a double-double. While Popoff added 12 digs to go with her 10 kills, Trimble led the visitors with 28 assists (a new three-set high) to go with a season-best 14 digs. Senior libero Julia Trujillo (Chino, Calif. / Univ. of La Verne) led Whittier with 16 digs, and the Poets' up-and-down resilience played an important role in Friday's win. Rallies skewing on the long side favored the Poets, and their ability to control the happenings above the net helped tip the scales in their favor. The Purple & Gold managed eight total blocks (six assisted, two solo) with sophomore Xenia Villagomez (Corona, Calif. / Santiago) at the forefront of the effort (one solo, four assisted). Freshman middle blocker Analise Kusleika (Upland, Calif. / Claremont) also got involved with two assisted blocks and seven kills to just one attacking error.

While the numbers on both sides appeared close throughout the duration of the second set, the Poets maintained control for the near duration and kept the Bulldogs at a three-point margin from 8-5 on. Junior Kaitlin Bullock (Rocklin, Calif. / Humboldt State) put the finishing touch on one of the Poets' most efficient sets of the season with one of her seven kills. The third set saw Whittier overcome some adversity en route to victory. Redlands erased a Whittier four-point lead in as many points, bringing the score to 23-23 in the set's final moments. However, the Poets' veteran instincts would soon kick in, as back-to-back Popoff kills from Trimble would ultimately dispatch the host Bulldogs.

Head Coach Chris Duarte-McDermott and the Poets will be back in action on Saturday, Oct. 9 when they host Occidental College (7-7, 3-4 SCIAC) for a 2 p.m. match. A victory would give Whittier a three-win week.

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