McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Codie Conching delivered a double double with a team high 12 kills and 16 digs but it couldn't stop the Whitman College women's volleyball team from losing its fourth straight match, a four-set defeat at Linfield on Saturday night. Set scores were 22-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-19.
 
Kalli Dickey added seven kills and 16 digs of her own for the Blues (6-10, 2-6 NWC) who looked prime to end their losing streak after taking the opening set. The Blues trailed before running off six straight points to take a 16-11 lead. The Wildcats (6-10, 1-7 NWC) sliced into the lead but another run capped by a Conching kill extended the lead to 22-14 and sealed the first-set win.
 
Set two saw the Blues fight back after trailing by as many as eight points. Cali Anderson's block cut the lead in half and later a 6-1 run armed by back-to-back kills from Conching brought the score to 24-23. Mattie Kelly's kill would end the run and even the match.
 
After dropping set three, the Blues had a chance to push the match to a fifth set. Regan Dean's service error gave Whitman a 10-4 lead, one the Blues continued to hold until a pair of Dean kills spearheaded a 5-0 run to turn the tables and put Linfield up 19-16. The Blues rallied to tie the score but the Wildcats won the set's final six points to take the match in four sets.
 
Dean put up a double double for Linfield with 13 kills and 14 digs and Taylor Souza added a match-high 27 digs.
 
Whitman returns to the court next Friday with a visit to Lewis & Clark for another Northwest Conference contest. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m.