WHITTIER, Calif. (Sept. 28, 2024) – Senior
Xenia Villagomez (Corona, Calif. / Santiago) had a monstrous game for Whittier College volleyball team on Saturday night, and the timing couldn't have been better. Behind stellar play from the senior middle blocker and others, the Poets defeated No. 9 University of La Verne in four sets to not only contribute to Whittier's unbeaten day at the Fall Sports Crawl, but also give them their second top-10 win as many years.
The Poets knocked off No. 4 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges on home floor last year.
Villagomez took as many attempts as her number: 18; finishing 12 of them to just two errors for a percentage north of .500. She also proved to be a force to be reckoned with at the net by assisting on four different blocks, and while the Poets had to contend with a Leopards team that is excellent in all facets of the game and especially at the net, the nine total Whittier blocks tied a team-best output from two different matches this season.
The Poets took the first stanza 25-19, and owe their success to a fast start. While the Leopards won three of the first five points, the Poets were able to limit the visitors' max run of points to just three while slowly chipping away and building to a 19-15 lead. A crucial three point run of the Poets' doing soon followed, punctuated by one of Villagomez' 12 kills on the match. Freshman
Malena Thé (Chino Hills, Calif. / Chino Hills / Westmont College) also had a major role in the match and appears to have settled in as a regular option for the Poets on the outside. She played in all four sets and tied Villagomez' team lead with 12 kills while also carrying the load defensively with a team-high 14 digs.
As opposed to some of the Poets' other home matches this season, the points in Saturday's game were typically of the shorter variety. La Verne broke through in a second-set where they showed some of the top-10 form, but Purple & Gold were unfazed and responded by competing with the Leopards' top form in the third set. Keyed by a 4-0 start on the serve of senior libero
Nadine Oronoz (Whittier, Calif. / Southland Christian / Rio Hondo College) and some impact plays from senior outside hitter
Riley DeGroot (Ontario, Calif. / Ontario Christian / Mt. San Antonio College) in her entrance to the match, Whittier jumped out to a 16-9 lead, though the Leopards would not go away easily. The visitors strung together some significant runs to push the set to a 24-24 stalemate, even in the face of two Whittier set points. However, Thé's most timely kill of the night, followed by one of the biggest service aces of Oronoz' career at Whittier slammed the door shut, giving Whittier a 2-1 advantage they were able to consumate in the fourth set.
In front of a jam-packed house for the Whittier College Fall Sports Crawl, the messaging from Head Coach
Chris Duarte-McDermott and his staff was clear: don't give the Leopards an opportunity for a fifth set. La Verne opened the set flat, prompting middle blockers like Villagomez and sophomores
Mia D'Amato (Bakersfield, Calif. / Garces) and
Brenna Kusleika (Upland, Calif. / Claremont) to take advantage, but La Verne quickly rebounded and showed they still have gas in the tank. After the Leopards took a 10-7 edge, Whittier finished the match on an 18-8 run, and won five of the last six points to finish the Leopards and breathe life into the season, as early as it still is.
Duarte-McDermott and the Poets will look to keep the good times rolling as they travel to the University of Redlands on Saturday, Oct. 1 for a 7 p.m. game.
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