WALLA WALLA, Wash.  There is work to do and chemistry to cultivate but also undeniable incandescence in the Whitman volleyball program, and Saturday -- at long last -- the Blues got to share it all with their home crowd.

After playing its first eight official matches of the 2017 season on the road or neutral courts, Whitman mustered at the Sherwood Athletic Center for a Northwest Conference contest that visiting Willamette claimed 25-20, 25-22, 25-16, underlining the Blues' need for growth without occluding their potential for winning -- and championship -- volleyball.

"We need to come out stronger. We need to work on improving our offense, and that falls on everyone, not just our hitters," Blues senior setter Anna Dawson said. "But everyone that came off the court did a good job of bringing energy, and we did a really good job fighting back when we were down."

Whitman (1-8, 1-3 in NWC) played most of the match behind, which showcased that fight while handicapping the momentum and cohesion which come at high premium for teams as youthful as the Blues. Its first lead did not come until the first point of the third set, as promising first-year Elyse Benavides -- in a moment of tantalizing, aggressive athleticism that bubbled to the net throughout the match -- soared the left sideline for a spike that the Bearcats could not handle.

Benavides (five kills), and fellow first-years Kalli Dickey (three kills) and Sierra Myers (two) had 10 of Whitman's 29 kills, bright lights augmenting the glow from established net predators such as junior Brooke Randall (five kills, five block assists), junior Megan Henry (team-high six kills, three block assists), senior Lara Temel (two kills, four block assists) and junior Katie Sisson (three kills).

The veteran-newcomer mesh remains a work in progress.

"We're really young," said Blues head coach Matt Helm. "We're still working on the little details, the simple things: our defensive coverage, a better attack. You can't win in this conference if you're hitting below .100.

"If we clean up those things, we'll be okay," he added. "We have some great young players, and we have great leadership from our seniors and veterans."

Whitman's first-set malaise was rooted in disjointed serve-receive. The Bearcats scored six points with aces or off wayward first touches by the Blues, whose difficulties in holding serve exacerbated the struggles. Whitman did mount a promising run late in the set, Sisson rising for back-to-back kills during a 4-0 spurt tucked into a 9-3 push that made it 21-19, Willamette.

But Sisson was injured as Whitman scored its 20th point of the set and did not return.

"That had a big impact," said Dawson, who had 22 assists, three kills, no attack errors, four digs and four block assists. "Katie is one of our top attackers. She gets those satisfying swings."

Relative to the first home set of the season, Whitman's second-set ante was far more robust. Its serve was a weapon, not a curio, its attack a danger rather than a rumor, its block existent rather than not. Dawson settled into a jaunty setting rhythm and synched with Randall, Henry, Temel and Dickey on a series of emphatic kills. The clog of the first set released into a flow.

But despite staying within striking distance from wire to wire, the Blues could not seize a lead and play from ahead. A Whitman service error with the score 21-21 was the final momentum shift.

The early moments of the third set showcased Whitman's next generation at its swaggering best, with Benavides kills grabbing 1-0, 5-4 and 10-9 leads, and a Myers finish extending a 6-5 advantage. And a long rally from which the Bearcats (4-8, 1-3) ultimately extracted a point -- and 16-11 lead -- bore reminders of Whitman's unassuming but bedrock back-line tenacity: senior Cherokee Washington laid out twice and junior Codie Conching thrice for sprawling digs that kept the point alive.

"We still have a lot of work to do," Helm said. "But we saw some good signs tonight."

The Blues continue NWC play against George Fox in Newberg, Oregon, at 7 p.m. on Friday.