WHITTIER, Calif. (Oct. 7, 2022)- The women swept Redlands at home Friday to improve to 4-3 in SCIAC play.

The Poets jumped out to a big early lead, forcing Redlands to take its first timeout with the score already 12-6. The Whittier women were communicating well with one another and causing a lot of Redlands errors. Whittier cruised to a 20-9 lead before the Bulldogs caught fire and cut their deficit to 22-17. The Poets would not let the Bulldogs come any closer to their lead and took the victory, 25-18. 

The second started off with another strong Whittier run. Taking the lead 4-1, but the Bulldogs fought back to take a 7-5 advantage. Whittier was not done fighting, however, as freshman Maia Cicero was all over the court helping with blocks and ferocious kills, to give Whittier back a 12-7 lead. The Poets would then play great defense on another run causing a lot of Redlands errors. Great communication and key digs by libero Brooke Sasaki rallied Whittier to a 25-12 victory. 

Following victories in the first two sets, the women wanted to show their ability to dominate and win in 3. The third began with Whittier and Redlands trading points. A handful of good rallies fell in the Poets' favor and they found themselves on an 8-0 run taking the lead 11-3. The Whittier women were clicking on all cylinders and every player on the court was contributing. They carried that momentum on another powerful run, grabbing an 18-7 upperhand. Redlands tried to stage a comeback and came within five points of the Poets, but the lead was too much to come back from and the Whittier women ultimately won 25-20. The Poets had completed their three-set sweep of the Bulldogs. 

Whittier received contributions all over the court from numerous players, but there were a few standout performances. Cicero was a dominant force on the court tonight with eight kills, three block assists, 9.5 total points, and a 1.000 kill percentage. Sasaki had six digs and provided great defense for the women. Meanwhile, freshman Sofia Zazueta had a strong performance six kills and one service ace. 

After a tough defeat on Tuesday at the hands of La Verne, Zazueta stated, "It felt great to come out and sweep a team. We played great team ball tonight and it showed how strong of a team this is. We have to be ready to come out again tomorrow and take on a tough Cal Lu opponent."

Whittier will travel to Cal Lutheran Saturday for a conference bout against the Regals at 7 p.m.

Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

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