WHITTIER, Calif. (Oct. 28, 2025) – The Whittier College women's volleyball team went the distance on Tuesday night inside the Graham Athletics Center, falling to Chapman University in a five-set thriller (25-21, 24-26, 25-14, 19-25, 6-15).

Junior outside hitter Mia Rogers (Irvine, Calif. / Crean Lutheran) tied her career high with 12 kills while hitting .360 to lead a balanced Poets attack. Junior Mia D'Amato (Bakersfield, Calif. / Garces Memorial) added 11 kills and three aces, while Lola Padilla (Fontana, Calif. / St. Lucy's) and Malena The (Chino Hills, Calif. / Chino Hills / Westmont College) each contributed nine or more kills. Freshman Morgan Kinser (Beaumont, Calif. / Beaumont) also made her presence felt, finishing with eight kills on a .412 hitting percentage.

Whittier's offense was orchestrated by the setting tandem of Hailey Church (La Habra, Calif. / La Habra) and Sophia Padilla (Fontana, Calif. / St. Lucy's), with Church leading the team in assists and Padilla steadying the offense through long rallies. Sophomore libero Alyssa Gonzalez (Glendora, Calif. / St. Lucy's) anchored the back row with 13 digs as the Poets stayed even with Chapman across nearly every statistical category.

Head Coach Chris Duarte-McDermott and the Poets now sit at 15-9 overall and 7-5 in SCIAC play, remaining in strong position for postseason contention. Whittier will look to bounce back on Saturday, Nov. 1, when they travel to Claremont, Calif. to face Pomona-Pitzer at 4 p.m.

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