WALLA WALLA, Wash.  Backs to the wall, not yet in sync, and perhaps with some bruised confidence, Whitman's volleyball team rallied all the way back from a two-set deficit to pull even and force a deciding fifth set, only to fall two points shy of completing the comeback in a hotly-contested 3-2 Northwest Conference loss to visiting Willamette University on Friday night in the Sherwood Athletic Center.

Whitman (9-10, 6-5 NWC) had difficulty putting things together in the evening's opening games. The Bearcats (6-13, 4-7) surrendered the lead only twice -- at 4-3 in the first set, and 1-0 in the second -- in taking the openers 25-22 and 25-18.

The 10-minute break was magical for Whitman in the third, though the magic was a bit tardy to the dance. Twice Whitman trailed by five points, the second coming at 14-9, but a Shae Kanakaole kill off one of the many sets from Anna Dawson finally uncorked the magic wand and Whitman was on its way.

A block from Natalia Zea and Katie Sisson ended up pulling the Whits even at 16-16, but Willamette responded with a sideout for what it thought would be a reverse of momentum. 

That was a no-go for the Bearcats, as Zea and Sisson added another block to square the score at 17-17, and Whitman would never trail over the remainder of the set.

Willamette didn't lie down and roll over, tying the score three times at 23, 24 and 25, but it did seem as if there'd be no denying Whitman in that third game. And Kanakaole then Zea put down the closers with successive kills to avoid the sweep with a 27-25 win.

Miranda Taylor's service ace on the initial point of the fourth game broke the only tie in a set in which Whitman never trailed on its way to a 25-19 equalizing victory.

Whitman started strongly in the fifth taking early points and eventually owning a 4-2 advantage, but a Bearcat kill from Taylor Lum when the score was tied at 6-6 provided the visitors with their first lead since midway through the third set.

Whitman would rally from an 11-7 deficit to tie the score at 13-13 only to have Jennifer Lane and Alexa Dowdell power down a pair of kills to finally overcome the battling Whits, 15-13, for the match victory.

Dawson doled out a career-high 52 assists on the night, and added a service ace and four kills to go along with 15 digs.

Kanakaole's 20 kills doubled those of teammates Megan Henry and Katie Sisson who also finished in double figures with 10 apiece.

Whitman posted a 16-12 edge in total blocks, much of that courtesy of Zea's efforts at the net with one solo and nine block assists.

Whitman will return to Sherwood Saturday for a conference match-up against Linfield College. The 5 p.m. match is marked as the team's Dig Pink Night for Breast Cancer Awareness. The players will play the match in honor of Joyce Schlechte, Carmela Robinson, Grace Robinson and Ruth Genevieve Davis. The evening's ticket and concession stand proceeds will be forwarded on to the Cancer Special Needs Fund of Providence St. Mary Foundation in Walla Walla.