Box Score

SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitman College's volleyball team surprised home-standing Whitworth University in breaking out to a 2-1 lead Wednesday night in Northwest Conference action at Whitworth Fieldhouse, but the Missionaries were unable to steal the final win and fell, 3-2, to the rallying Pirates who avoided an upset bid from a team that it had swept in three games earlier in the season.,

Shae Kanakaole and Megan Bafus led the attack for Whitman (5-7, 1-2 NWC) with 14 and 13 kills, respectively. Nicole Leonard led a trio of Pirates (8-4, 1-2) into double-figures on the attack with a match-high 19 kills.

The deciding fifth game was knotted at 3-3 before Whitworth reeled off seven consecutive points to finally break away from a Whitman squad that had battled the Pirates closely all match, even in losses in Games 2 and 4. The pesky Missionaries refused to fold even down by seven in the final contest and battled back to only a four-point deficit at 13-9, but Whitworth was able finally close out the match victory with the final two points of the night in its 15-9 win.

The opening two games of the night looked as if the Missionaries were going to be the team registering the sweep. Whitman owned a Game 1 lead until tied at 16-16, fell behind briefly by a point, regained the lead only to have Whitworth pull back even at 20-20. A service error and attacking error from Whitworth pushed Whitman ahead by two before kills from Abby Seethoff and Kaileah Akker upped the advantage to four. Another Pirate attacking error closed out the win for Whitman, providing an early lead.

Game 2, and late in the game, proved to be the turning point of the match. Whitman played to a 21-14 lead, on the verge of putting the home team down 2-0. But the Pirates stole the momentum and bounced back to come away with a 26-24 victory to even the match score.

The Missionaries didn't dwell on the missed opportunity and rolled to a 25-18 win in Game 3. Tied only at 1-1 and 2-2, a Kanakaole kill gave Whitman a one-point lead that ballooned to as many as eight before settling for the seven-point final advantage.

However, Whitworth was able to again turn the tables. Leading for all but two times in the beginning portion of the fourth game the Pirates grew their advantage to 20-13 and looked as if they would even the match easily. A 9-3 run by the Missionaries changed that opinion. Unfortunately Whitworth scratched out two of the final three points to steal a 25-23 win to force a fifth game where it was able to close out the match despite Whitman's late-game challenge.

In addition to leading the team in kills, Kanakaole added 16 digs, tied with setter Anna Dawson and trailing only defensive specialist Hannah Linsenmayer's 21 digs. Dawson set up the Whitman attack throughout the night piling up 37 assists while also adding 16 digs, three kills and two blocks.

Whitman put up a 15.0-5.0 advantage in blocking on the night, led by Natalia Zea's and Akker's four blocks each. Bafus and Kanakaole chipped in with 2.5 blocks apiece in the strong showing at the net for the team's defense.

Whitman returns home to the Sherwood Athletics Center for its next match, a 7 p.m. Northwest Conference contest Friday, Sept. 26 against visiting Pacific (Ore.) University.