LA VERNE, Calif. (Nov. 5, 2023) – Junior outside hitter
Riley DeGroot (Ontario, Calif. / Mt. San Antonio College) saved the best for last with a huge three-set outing at 21st-ranked University of La Verne on Saturday evening. In spite of an eye-popping 16 kills from one of the team's top contributors from the outside, the Poets had their 18-set unbeaten streak snapped at the hands of the Leopards, as well as a six-match unbeaten run in the SCIAC to end the regular season.
The Poets actually had a chance in the second set to even things up, and were arguably the better team over this stretch. The Poets outhit the Leopards .241-.236, with 19 of their 23 points coming by way of kill. In spite of this, the set was closely contested from start to finish, though Whittier did hold a 21-18 advantage late, keyed by a huge stretch from freshman
Mia D'Amato (Bakersfield, Calif. / Garces) and sophomore
Sofia Zazueta (La Mirada, Calif. / Orange Lutheran). However, the Leopards are among the SCIAC's elite teams for a reason, and worked their way back into contention late. A timely finish from freshman
Brenna Kusleika (Upland, Calif. / Claremont) helped Whittier knot things back up at 23 points apiece, but an equally timely block from the home team denied the Poets a chance to tie things up.
The aftereffects of an emotional second set stayed with the Poets in the third, with the visiting team needing to dig out of an early hole to put itself in a position to survive. An 8-2 run spurred by the steadiness of junior libero
Nadine Oronoz (Whittier, Calif. / Rio Hondo College) and the otherworldly efficiency of DeGroot helped give Whittier a chance in the set's middle stages, but the visitors were once again unable to recreate a similar magic to what they achieved when the Leopards came to Whittier back in September. However, Saturday's match did not come without positive takeaways. The Poets' effectiveness from the outside proved telling, with DeGroot and Zazueta combining for 28 of the team's 42 kills over the three sets. The team also committed just one service error, though will need to rediscover the point-winning potency of its serve ahead of its next match.
Though the incredible 2023 regular season has come to an end, Head Coach
Chris Duarte-McDermott and the Poets' season is not over. The Poets, seeded fourth in the SCIAC Postseason Tournament, will travel to No. 8 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges, the top seed in the tournament, on Thursday, Nov. 9 for a 7 p.m. semifinal game. The contest will be a rubber match of sorts, with the Poets having swept the Athenas on Dave Jacobs Court in the Graham Athletic Center back in October.
Follow and show support for your Whittier Poets on Twitter (@WCPoets), YouTube and Instagram (@PoetAthletics)!
