WALLA WALLA, Wash.  Injuries and other health adversities have forced the Whitman volleyball program to shuffle its rotations, reconfigure its lineup, deploy veteran players outside their natural positions, and accelerate to full-time reliance on numerous first-year players -- all in the grueling midst of its Northwest Conference schedule.

Those difficulties have also revealed the secret foundation that makes the Blues tick.

"Whitman volleyball is… On the Island, we call it ohana," said Codie Conching, a 5-foot-6 junior from Honolulu whose switch from defensive specialist to outside hitter has coincided with the Blues' longest winning streak since September of 2016. "Ohana means family. On the court and off, we're a family. These set-backs have propelled us to be selfless. We're playing for our teammates that can't. That's our culture."

Whitman shrugged off a first-set loss to devour Linfield 18-25, 25-23, 25-12, 25-18 at Sherwood Athletic Center here Friday for its third straight victory. It moved one game over .500 in conference play and stoked a fire ignited by a series of key road victories, including two during an injury- and illness-marred visit to George Fox and Lewis and Clark last weekend.

Conching had 13 kills and 10 digs, Brooke Randall added nine kills and three block assists, Elyse Benavides had eight kills, Lara Temel had seven kills, one block and five block assists, and Anna Dawson had six kills, five block assists, eight digs and 33 assists for the Blues (4-8, 4-3 NWC).

Friday's contest was the volleyball program's annual "Dig Pink" match, in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For each Blues dig made in the match, $10 was donated to the Providence St. Mary Foundation in support of local cancer care. Whitman had 51 digs.

In a nice bit of symmetry, the Blues also had 51 kills -- exemplifying the cohesiveness and energy level borne of the recent adversity.

"Tonight, we were feisty," Conching said. "Our blocking was awesome. Our hitting was awesome."

"There were just six of us returning this season, and we've already gone through a lot," added senior Cherokee Washington, who has stepped into Conching's vacated libero position brilliantly and delivered a masterful all-around floor game in Friday's win. "Family is one of our core values. We're focused on having one heart. We're deep, and everyone is willing and ready to jump in and do whatever is needed."

Washington, who lead the Blues in digs (12) and aces (two), traced Whitman's crescendo to a road win at Pacific Lutheran University on Sept. 16 -- its first victory of the season.

"It's hard to put into words," she said. "There was just an urgency lit under our butts. It has propelled us from being good to excellent. We pulled that out today."

It took a set. Even though Whitman was 20 for 20 serving (while Linfield committed four service errors), the Wildcats (8-6, 2-5) were simply better at the net down the first-set stretch, with three kills and three blocks among their final nine points.

"Our coaches just said, 'Relax'," Washington said.

Whitman did. The Blues played some of their finest volleyball of the season in a momentum-swinging second-set victory.

Linfield surged to a 5-1 lead before Whitman found its bearings. Washington dug a ball out from the shadow of the net and sent it into range for Benavides, who smacked a no-doubt kill for the second point of what would explode into a 12-5 Blues run. Washington continued to scour the floor for digs, saving the ball twice on a long rally that Conching and Temel consummated by teaming for a block that tied it at 8-8.

Conching's second kill of the set, a Megan Henry kill and a monster block by Temel gave the Blues an 11-9 lead.

Benavides sparked a 6-1 scoring stretch with a kill, Dawson intercepted a Linfield volley at the net for a first-touch kill, Randall skied for a block, and Conching had back-to-back kills -- then assisted Temel on a block.

The Wildcats erased a 22-17 deficit to tie it at 23, but Temel's softly-placed kill secured serve for the Blues, and Henry's block rescued a 1-1 tie in the match.

"What we've been talking about in practice is starting to be evident in games," said Whitman head coach Matt Helm. "Our ball control was excellent. Our middles (Temel and Randall) had a great evening. Dawson was putting our hitters in great positions. Our outside hitters are starting to see the open court."

Whitman overwhelmed Linfield in the third set. Kills by Conching, Temel, Randall, Dawson and Benavides opened a 14-9 lead. A Conching kill made it 16-12 and won a sideout for the Blues; Washington proceeded to serve nine consecutive points -- starting with an ace. Conching's kill on set point was a fitting exclamation point.

The Blues host Pacific at 5 p.m. on Saturday.