WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 20, 2025) – The Whittier College women's volleyball team faced its toughest challenge of the season on Saturday at the 18th Annual Worthington Classic, opening the day with a matchup against No. 18 Hope College before closing the tournament against host Gallaudet University. The Poets dropped both contests, but not before showing stretches of strong play and pushing a nationally ranked opponent to the limit.
Game 1: Hope 3, Whittier 0
In the first-ever meeting between the programs, Whittier held its own against a perennial Division III power, keeping all three sets within striking distance. Sophomore outside hitter
Malena Thé (Chino Hills, Calif. / Chino Hills / Westmont College) led the attack with 12 kills while hitting .242, while senior
Sofia Zazueta (La Mirada, Calif. / Orange Lutheran) chipped in eight kills and nine digs. Freshman outside hitter
Lola Padilla (Fontana, Calif. / St. Lucy's) was efficient with seven kills at a .357 clip, and junior middle blocker
Mia D'Amato (Bakersfield, Calif. / Garces) added three kills and a pair of blocks.
Despite the 25–19, 28–26, 25–23 score line, the Poets forced Hope to work for every point and showcased the depth of their attack with five different players recording multiple kills.
Game 2: Gallaudet 3, Whittier 1
The Poets carried that energy into their final match of the Classic and took the opening set, 25–22, behind a blistering .519 hitting percentage. However, the Bison regrouped on their home floor and took the next three sets to seal the match.
Thé and Padilla each notched eight kills to pace Whittier, while
D'Amato and junior
Mia Rogers (Irvine, Calif. / Crean Lutheran) added six apiece. Freshman
Ava Glonek (Calabasas, Calif. / Calabasas) was also effective in limited swings, finishing with six kills on a .455 hitting percentage. Defensively, libero
Alyssa Gonzalez (Glendora, Calif. / St. Lucy's Priory) reached double-digit digs again, finishing with 12.
With the two losses, the Poets closed out their cross-country trip at 7-3 overall following a 2-2 weekend. Head Coach
Chris Duarte-McDermott and team will now turn their attention back to conference play, returning home to face No. 2 University of La Verne on Friday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. inside the Graham Athletic Center.
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