PASADENA, Calif. – Whittier used strong serving and a three-point closing run to sweep Caltech 25-13, 25-16, 25-22 on the road on Saturday.
Madison McPherson delivered back-to-back aces to put the Poets ahead 3-0 in the opening set.
Mia D'Amato and
Mia Rogers supplied early kills as Whittier maintained a small cushion through the first several rotations.
With the score at 10-8, a Caltech service error, another McPherson ace and a combined block from Rogers and D'Amato created some separation. D'Amato followed with consecutive kills to make it 15-9.
The Poets took command down the stretch. Leading 18-12,
Morgan Kinser recorded three kills during a five-point burst that also featured a McPherson finish. After Caltech briefly interrupted the run, McPherson and Malena Thé put away the final two points for a 25-13 win.
The second set was tied at 4-4 before Whittier strung together five unanswered points. Rogers, McPherson and
Lola Padilla each contributed a kill, while
Hailey Church capped the stretch with consecutive aces.
Caltech stayed within reach until the Poets' front row helped widen the gap. Rogers paired with D'Amato for one block and Kinser for another before adding a kill off an
Isabel Wold assist to establish a 17-11 advantage.
The Beavers cut the margin to three, but Whittier's serving showed up again. At 19-15, a Caltech service error sent Padilla to the line, where she delivered two aces during a five-point run. McPherson finished the set with a kill for the 25-16 result.
The third presented a different challenge, with Caltech moving ahead 8-5. Padilla answered with a kill and an ace, and Whittier gradually worked its way back. A block from D'Amato and Rogers tied the score at 11-11 before the Poets moved in front.
Neither side gained much breathing room through the middle of the set. Padilla and Thé provided kills as the teams traded points, reaching another tie at 18-18.
McPherson broke that deadlock with a kill to begin a four-point run, capped by D'Amato's finish for a 22-18 lead. Caltech responded with four straight points of its own to draw even once more.
Whittier claimed the next three points to end the match. A Beavers attack error restored the lead, D'Amato delivered a kill for match point and another Caltech error sealed the sweep.
The Poets return to Dave Jacobs Court on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to face Redlands at 7 p.m. Catch all the action on
FloCollege.
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