SALEM, Ore. – Codie Conching recorded a match high 20 kills to go along with 17 digs, helping her team twice rally from a set down but it wasn't enough as the Whitman College women's volleyball team dropped a five-set heartbreaker at Willamette on Saturday night in Northwest Conference action at Cone Field House. Set scores were 25-23, 13-25, 25-16, 20-25, 18-16.

Kalli Dickey added 16 kills and 10 digs for the Blues who fall to 7-11 overall and 3-7 in conference play. Dickey and Conching combined with three other players with double figures in kills including Clair McCarthy who posted a match high 21.

Arianna Kahn had a team-high 14 kills for the Bearcats (8-11, 5-5 NWC) with Lauren Stiles posting a team-best 17 digs.

After a narrow opening set defeat, the Blues responded with a dominant win in set two. A trio of Dickey aces gave Whitman an 8-3 lead before Conching caught fire with a stretch of three kills to highlight a 6-0 Blues run. Later, Dickey dominated at the net to the tune of five kills in her team's final seven points to close out the second set.

Whitman again trailed after dropping set three but was able to push the match to a fifth set. The Blues used a mini run midway through the set to take a 16-12 lead. Kills by Conching helped keep the lead at four points before a pair of Megan Henry kills sealed the win.

The Bearcats led by three early in the deciding set but the Blues rallied and went up 11-9 after back-to-back Conching kills. Kahn capped a 3-0 run with a kill as the teams traded points down the stretch. Natalie Klotz would nail consecutive kills to grab the fifth-set win and the match for Willamette.

The Blues are next in action when they host Pacific (Ore.) this Friday, Oct. 19 at 7:00 p.m.