McMINNVILLE, Ore.  Cherokee Washington scooped up a career-best 24 digs and Kalli Dickey knocked down a career-high 18 kills, but visiting Whitman had its four-match win streak halted Friday night by host Linfield College in a 3-1 loss to the Wildcats in Northwest Conference volleyball action in Ted Wilson Gymnasium.

Whitman (9-11, 9-6 NWC) was hoping another victory would help it climb in the league standings, but Linfield (10-12, 4-11) never trailed in winning the opening two sets and bounced back from a set loss to take the fourth in downing the Blues by scores of 25-20, 25-14, 24-26 and 25-15.

The Wildcats never let Whitman get on track during those opening sets, limiting the Blues to a negative attack percentage in the first set and only an .027 percentage in the second.

Things turned around in the third, though, as the Whitman defense picked up its game allowing Dickey and the other attackers to come up with a few more kills.

Linfield's attack percentage plummeted from .286 in the second set to only .059 in the third.

The Blues, despite seven tie scores, seemed to have the better of play across the third set, but the Wildcats were able to claw back from a set point at 24-23 to knot things up.

A Megan Henry kill inched Whitman back in front on the next point, and a ball-handling error in Linfield's back row on the next point finally allowed the Blues to close out the game while also hoping that momentum would carry over into a comeback.

The fourth set started that way with Whitman taking a very early 2-1 lead, but Linfield reeled off a 4-0 to take command.

The margin grew over the middle portion of the set until Whitman did its own bit of clawing back, pulling to within three at 14-11 on a Sierra Myers kill.

That would be the last of the rallies from the Blues, however, as the Wildcats finished off the set and match with an 11-4 run.

Dickey's career-night also included five digs and four blocks in her all-around performance.

Washington wasn't the only defender coming up with saves for Whitman, as Anna Dawson (17 digs), Claire McCarthy (13) and Kahili Liu (12) also reached double digits.

Whitman will seek to get back into the win column Saturday in the final match of the 2017 season, traveling to Forest Grove, Oregon, for a bout with the Pacific (Ore.) University Boxers at 5 p.m.