BOSTON, Mass. (Sept. 14, 2024) – The Whittier College volleyball team split the final two games of the Boston Invitational on Saturday, sweeping a tough Tufts University team before running into nationally-ranked No. 17 Calvin University in the later game. Senior outside hitter
Riley DeGroot (Ontario, Calif. / Ontario Christian / Mt. San Antonio College) was one of several Whittier players to make her presence felt on the court and in the box score, and deservedly received All-Tournament Team recognition for the weekend she had.
Game 1: Whittier 3, Tufts 0
Freshman outside hitter
Malena Thé (Chino Hills, Calif. / Chino Hills / Westmont College) starred once again for the Poets in the first of two Saturday games. She led Whittier with 13 kills to just one attacking error, resulting in an incredibly impressive .343 hitting percentage. As a team, Whittier committed just 11 attacking errors over the three-set match, and that steadiness proved more than enough to earn the Poets a sweep of Tufts. Thé's attacking efficiency was certainly a factor, as was DeGroot's. The senior had an 11:2 kill-error ratio herself, and on just 21 attempts, DeGroot managed to produce a .429 hitting percentage to lead the Whittier attack.
Efficiency told the story of Saturday's opening match, as while the Poets posted quality highlights in every area of the game, the 3-0 was largely a result of being the steadier, more consistent team. Senior libero
Nadine Oronoz (Whittier, Calif. / Southland Christian / Rio Hondo College) continued her streak of 10 consecutive matches with a service ace while pacing the Purple & Gold with 14 digs. Junior setter
Sophia Padilla (Fontana, Calif. / St. Lucy's) split time with senior
Morgan Lin (Glendora, Calif. / Glendora) in that position, but came away with a double-double on the back of 11 assists and 12 digs. The Poets faced their greatest opposition from Tufts in a second set that needed extra points to decide a winner. Whittier came out on top in a competitive frame that ultimately foretold the result of the match by willing four of the last five points, even turning back four would-be set points for the Jumbos. Three of those four points ended in kills courtesy of DeGroot.
Game 2: No. 17 Calvin 3, Whittier 0
One day removed from taking a set off No. 10 MIT, the Poets showed they can hang tough with another ranked foe in No. 17 Calvin. This time, Whittier cruised to a 25-18 first set thanks to an awesome start to the match that saw the Poets lead the Knights 16-9 at one point. Much of the damage came from DeGroot herself, but the senior had plenty of help from the likes of Thé, as well as middle blockers
Analise Kusleika (Upland, Calif. / Claremont),
Mia D'Amato (Bakersfield, Calif. / Garces) and
Xenia Villagomez (Corona, Calif. / Santiago). Oronoz also notched two of her three service aces during this part of the match.
After committing eight errors to just 10 kills in the opening frame, the Knights woke up with a highly efficient second set, while the third set could have gone either way with both teams looking to find their best volleyball. This time, the Poets had the Knights on the ropes at 24-22 after the Michigan-based team committed a pair of attacking errors. However, the Knights pulled through in the final frame and subsequently were able to control a tired Poets squad in the final frame. Nevertheless, Whittier showed it can hang with some of the top teams Division III has to offer and should enter SCIAC play with plenty of confidence and with the wind at their backs. DeGroot led all Poets with her second-consecutive 11-kill match, while Villagomez also came up with an efficient line that included eight kills. Oronoz, DeGroot, and Lin all finished with double-digit digs.
Head Coach
Chris Duarte-McDermott and the Poets will enjoy some extended rest before ramping back up for the SCIAC schedule. The Poets will kick off the SCIAC campaign on Friday, Sept. 27 on the road at California Lutheran University with the game set to begin at 7 p.m.
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