Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

CLAREMONT, Calif. (Sept. 25, 2021) – One day removed from its first SCIAC win of the season, the Whittier College volleyball team nearly made it consecutive wins with a near five-set comeback at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on Saturday evening.

The Poets overcame a sluggish start from the onset of the third frame, ambushing the Sagehens with a 10-2 run to open the action. The first five points for the visiting team came on the serve of junior Della Trimble (Saratoga, Calif. / West Valley College), with points resulting in three Pomona-Pitzer attacking errors. The Poets would force the Sagehens into three more attacking errors on the serve of senior Katelyn Popoff (Hacienda Heights, Calif. / Sonora), who shined again for Whittier less than 24 hours removed from a 20-kill, 20-dig night. The Poets' attacking ability began to manifest later in the set, however, after staking themselves to a comfortable lead. Kills from Popoff, sophomore Xenia Villagomez (Corona, Calif. / Santiago) and freshman Hailey Presser (Las Vegas, Nev. / Arbor View) on three of the final four points cut the home team's lead in half. The Poets were as accurate as they were deadly during this period, achieving kills on one out of every three attacks as a team.

The fourth set saw the Poets force the Sagehens into more mistakes. Senior libero Madisen Diaz (Hacienda Heights, Calif. / Bishop Amat) helped keep the Purple & Gold alive in rallies during this part of the match, which proved to be a war of attrition against a rested and talented Sagehens team. With the score knotted at 21 points apiece, the Poets ripped off four consecutive points that featured kills from Popoff and Villagomez, tying the match at two sets apiece with the momentum pointing in Whittier's direction. While the Poets would ultimately succumb to the home team, Popoff had another strong statistical showing with 14 kills and 20 digs. Villagomez, meanwhile, took care of business at the net with five assisted blocks and one solo block.

Head Coach Chris Duarte-McDermott and the Poets will have some time to rest and prepare before reconvening to take on the University of La Verne in Whittier on Friday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m.

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