WHITTIER, Calif. (Sep. 29, 2023) -- Freshman Mia D'Amato (Bakersfield, Calif. / Garces) of the Whittier College volleyball team broke out in a big way in front of the home fans, drawing a start and leading the Poets to a three-set sweep of Caltech on Saturday evening.

D'Amato made the most of her opportunity early, earning kills on her first two points before picking up a service ace as the Poets' second server of the opening frame. She finished the set with five kills, and went on to lead the home team with 11 kills, the only player on either team to hit double-digits. The freshman middle/opposite also factored in at the net, where she picked up two assisted blocks as part of a collaborative effort where the Poets decimated their opponents. The only solo block of the match belonged to senior Xenia Villagomez (Corona, Calif. / Santiago), who totaled three additional assisted blocks while providing a huge presence on the attack as well with nine kills on 18 attempts. The big effort allowed Villagomez to run her hitting percentage to .267 on the year, as she is among the conference's most consistent hitters as well as a major option for the Poets on the attack. Junior Riley DeGroot (Ontario, Calif. / Mt. San Antonio College) had nine kills of her own to help lift the Poets offensively, in addition to a team-high 16 digs.

Whittier leaned on its size to bag its second SCIAC win of the week, although Caltech did provide plenty of opposition for the Poets, particularly in the second and third set. The Beavers, after all, pushed California Lutheran University to five sets just one night prior, and make up for their lack of size with defensive proficiency. Nevertheless, the Poets were able to come through in crunch time, with the home team winning four of the final five points in the second set (punctuated by one of D'Amato's 11 kills), and four of the final six points in the third set to ultimately win the match.

Junior libero Nadine Oronoz' (Whittier, Calif. / Rio Hondo College) talents proved crucial during the final two sets, as she provided calming defensive presence that helped force Caltech into unforced errors on four of the aforementioned points. Additionally, junior setter Morgan Lin (Glendora, Calif. / Glendora) took the lead for Whittier in setting situations, pacing all players with 21 assists. Whittier also had the opportunity to show its strength on its own serve, with sophomore outside hitter Sofia Zazueta (La Mirada, Calif. / Orange Lutheran) accounting for three of the Poets' 10 service aces on the match.

Head Coach Chris Duarte-McDermott and the Poets will hit the road for their next SCIAC contest, which will come against Chapman University on Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. The Poets will return home on Friday, Oct. 6 for the annual homecoming game where they will play host to Occidental College.