WALLA WALLA, Wash.  Whitman College flash-froze the conference's hottest team, out-swung its most prolific hitter and took a confident first step into the Northwest Conference volleyball trenches by beating visiting Pacific University 25-23, 25-21, 23-25, 25-11 in the league opener for both teams Friday evening at Sherwood Center.

Given the panache with Whitman shrugged off its third-set loss to dominate the fourth, clinch the home opener and delight a raucous crowd, perhaps "strut" is more apt.

It was a confident first strut.

"That last set? Yes," Whitman head coach Matt Helm said, when asked if his Whitman (4-5, 1-0) had played its best volleyball of the young season against Pacific. "We didn't come out well, but we grinded."

The home team relied in their home opener on versatility of attack. Junior setter Anna Dawson was precise, rhythmic and especially democratic in her distribution, targeting a variety of hitters throughout the match. Her 42 assists were more than Pacific mustered as a team (33) and were delivered to seven different teammates, a share-happy approach which paid lethal dividends in Whitman's fourth-set romp.

"That's usually what we're known for. Our setter does an amazing job distributing the ball," said senior middle blocker Natalia Zea, who had eight kills and collaborated on nine blocks. "It's not just for democratic purposes; it's how we psych the other team out."

Pacific (6-5, 0-1) has not been easily spooked, especially lately, but was overwhelmed down the stretch and saw its three-match, nine-set win streak obliterated. The Boxers had just found traction with a 25-23 win in the third set when Whitman, drawing on the chemistry that Dawson had diligently facilitated in the first two sets, unleashed a volatile retort. With sophomore Miranda Taylor serving bullet after bullet, the hosts ripped off an 11-0 run to take a 20-7 lead. Senior Shae Kanakaole had five of her match-high 20 kills in the run, Zea added four kills and assisted on three emphatic blocks and Whitman won going away.

That stood out to Kanakaole, a senior who has seen hot starts squandered in previous seasons at the first whiff of adversity.

"There have been seasons where we've gone up 2-0 and fallen apart," she said. "I'm happy that we gritted it out. It showed our perseverance, especially that we won in dominating fashion."

More please, added Dawson.

"We want to dominate the conference," she said. "This was the first match this season where we took over. But we feel like we can play better."

Several Whitman players reported the presence of jitters at the start of the match, "from excitement, not a lack of confidence," Dawson noted. There were faint -- if any -- outward manifestations, as Dawson fed Miranda Taylor (three kills in the match) and Katie Sisson (seven) early -- and Zea and Kanakaole later -- in winning the set.

Pacific did not muster a kill until the 25th point of the opening game. The Boxers crept ahead 22-20, but Whitman finished the set -- and clinched Point 25 -- by outlasting the visitors on a long rally that sophomore defensive specialist Codie Conching helped prolong with a sprawling save.

Whitman didn't relinquish momentum in the second and never trailed after tying the set 4-4. Dawson continued to orchestrate generously.

"That's the strength of our offense, getting multiple people involved," said Helm.

"It's important to establish that all of our hitters are available," added Dawson.

Important -- and potentially a big problem for the rest of the NWC.