WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Trailing 20-17 in the fourth game, the Whitman College women's volleyball team tallied eight unanswered points to close out the set and a four-game non-conference victory over Walla Walla University Wednesday night in College Place, Wash.

Whitman, improving to 4-6 on the season, prevailed 25-21, 23-25, 25-23, 25-20. The Wolves fell to 7-10 overall.

"This was a great team win for us," Whitman coach Carolyn Papineau said. "Everyone contributed to a very steady effort. We've been working on controlling our game and our side of the net, and we executed that tonight.

Amanda Holberg

"We hit a few difficult spots and lost that second game, but in general we remained very steady and outplayed them through the end of the match."

Senior captain Alex Graves sparked the Missionary win with match-high totals in kills (18) and digs (31).

"Alex had a a strong all-around game, one of her better games of the season," Papineau said. "We moved her into the middle back on defense and she got to a lot of balls for us. She was very dynamic in that spot. She also had a good hitting night and took a lot of good quality swings."

Rachel Shober

Sophomore Katie Miller added 12 kills and 22 digs, and first-year middle blocker Courtney Brewer was good for 12 kills, 11 digs, two solo blocks and four block assists. Junior Katie Richards handed out 41 assists.

"We had good play from multiple players," Papineau said. 

Amanda Holberg, a sophomore defensive specialist, chipped in with 14 digs and drew praise from Papineau for her "steady, calm defense, and good contributions to our serve-receive game." 

Rachel Shober, a first-year right side hitter, added 13 digs and filled a gap at the net when first-year middle blocker Carrie Cecil went down in the fourth game with a twisted ankle. "Rachel did a nice job with a couple of blocks in quick succession that really helped us turn game four around," Papineau said.

With game four tied at 16-16, Walla Walla pulled away briefly, moving in front 20-17 on Natalie Wilkening's kill. A trio of kills by Miller, Graves and Brewer, along with a Walla Walla hitting error, pushed Whitman in front by a point, and two Holberg service aces made it 23-20. Another Miller kill, followed by a block at the net by Brewer and Miller, finished off the game and match.

With game one knotted at 11, Whitman scored eight of the next 11 points to take charge, getting two kills and a service ace from Brewer to fuel the run. The Wolves drew no closer than three points the rest of the way, and kills by Brewer and Graves sealed the first-game win.

Walla Walla countered in game two, jumping in front 22-14. With the Wolves on the verge of victory at 24-16, Whitman strung together seven straight points, the last two on kills by Miller, to make things interesting. But Wilkening's kill put Walla Walla over the top and evened the match at one game apiece.

Game three went back and fourth, although the Wolves held leads of 16-13 and 20-18. After Brewer's kill gave the Missionaries a one-point lead and Walla Walla's Antoinette Bedros squared the set at 23-23, Graves pounded two kills to polish off the game.  

Whitman returns to Northwest Conference play this weekend when it hosts Puget Sound at 7 p.m. Friday and Pacific Lutheran at 4 p.m. Saturday. Both matches take place in Sherwood Athletic Center.

Box score

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CONTACT: Dave Holden
Sports Information Director
Whitman College, Walla Walla, Wash.
509 527-5902; holden@whitman.edu