WHITTIER, Calif. (Sept. 11, 2021) – The Whittier College volleyball team concluded a busy weekend on Saturday afternoon, competing at the Whittier Invitational on Dave Jacobs Court against four out-of-conference opponents in matches contested between Sept. 10 and 11.

Friday Game 1: Puget Sound 3, Whittier 1

The Poets opened action on Friday against a tough Puget Sound team that earlier in the day swept SCIAC foe Chapman University. Whittier showed some early promise, taking the first set 27-25 after neither team could separate itself from the other. No team led by more than three points throughout the duration of the set, but the Purple & Gold took the lead when it mattered most. With the set knotted at 25 points apiece, kills from Xenia Villagomez (Corona, Calif. / Santiago) and Katelyn Popoff (Hacienda Heights, Calif. / Sonora) gave Whittier the early lead.

Popoff went on to lead Whittier with nine kills in the match, while senior opposite hitter Niloofar Mojab (Tehran, Iran / Tarrant County) registered five service aces against the loggers to go with three assisted blocks. Two of the senior's aces came in the third set, where the Poets pushed the Loggers into another win-by-two situation where this time, the home team came out on the short end of things. Three Poets, including Popoff picked up at least 10 digs in the match and junior setter Della Trimble (Saratoga, Calif. / West Valley College) assisted on 19 Whittier kills.

Friday Game 2: Whitworth 3, Whittier 2

Friday night's action concluded with an exciting five-set battle between the Poets and Pirates. Whittier stormed out to a two-set lead and showed what they can be capable of with two of its best sets of volleyball through the first nine games of the season. The Purple & Gold held Whitworth to just 12 first set points and closed the frame on a 12-3 scoring run but arguably played better volleyball in the second set where they notched 15 kills to just four attacking errors. Popoff once again led the Poets' attack with 12 kills and a 3:1 ratio of kills to errors. 

The visiting Pirates came on strong in the third set, however, and eventually pushed the Poets to a decisive fifth set. A timely Popoff kill put the Poets up 6-4 early, but the tenacious visiting team refused to go away and went on a small run of its own to regain the upper hand en route to the win. Popoff proved to be just as much of a factor defensively as she was on offense, picking up 18 digs to match senior libero Madisen Diaz (Hacienda Heights, Calif. / Bishop Amat). Whittier also managed to outplay Whitworth at the net, with Villagomez leading all Poets with two solo blocks and two assisted blocks. Villagomez also led the home team with a .250 attacking percentage

Saturday Game 1: Pacific Lutheran 3, Whittier 0

The first of Saturday's two games had its share of positives for the host Poets. Popoff picked up double-digit kills for the second consecutive day and also impressed with her precision, executing a .269 attacking percentage. Popoff also helped libero Diaz to pace Whittier defensively, with the senior duo combining for 25 of the team's 47 digs. Meanwhile, freshman setter Morgan Lin (Glendora, Calif. / Glendora) led the Poets in assists for the first time this season, picking up 13 over the full three sets to go along with one service ace. Junior Kaitlin Bullock (Rocklin, Calif. / Humboldt State) also left an impression with six kills in two sets.

Saturday Game 2: UC Santa Cruz 3, Whittier 0

The final match of the tournament featured a rematch between the Poets and Banana Slugs, who played against each other on Dave Jacobs Court back on Sept. 1. Although the Poets went down in three sets, they showed great improvement from the earlier match, particularly in the final frame where they outpaced the visitors with 12 kills to 10. Popoff played perhaps her best game of the season, scoring 11 kills to just one error for a .400 attacking percentage, making it three consecutive matches with double-digit kills. She also had four service aces. Meanwhile, Diaz led with 14 digs and Lin stepped up to lead with 10 assists. 

Head Coach Chris Duarte-McDermott and the Poets will look to get back on the winning track on Tuesday, Sept. 14 when they host the University of Antelope Valley at 7 p.m.

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