LA VERNE, Calif. - The Whitman College women's volleyball team closed its first road trip with a pair of four-set losses on Saturday, first to Chapman then to Sul Ross State.
Chapman 3 Whitman 0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-23)
Whitman suffered its first sweep of the season in its three-set loss to Chapman. Nicole Kelly led the Blues with nine kills (.261) but it was Sophia Dominitz who led the Blues on both sides of the net. She was more than efficient with eight kills at a .583 clip and posted a match-high four blocks.
For the Panthers, Marly Johnson drilled a match-high 10 kills and Chanel Sud recorded 11 digs, also a match-best.
Chapman handled the Blues in the opening set but Whitman had a shot to win both the second and third sets. Megan Suka had a pair of early kills in set two as the Blues took an early 7-3 lead. Chapman then took control and reeled off seven unanswered points.Â
Whitman stemmed the tide as the teams went back and forth down the stretch. The Blues took a 20-17 lead when Suka and Dominitz got in on a block, but Chapman closed the set on a 5-0 run to take a commanding 2-0 lead and all but seal the win.
Sul Ross 3 Whitman 1 (26-24, 23-25, 25-21, 25-17)
Game two saw the Blues (0-4) fall to Sul Ross State in four sets, the first two very competitive. Kelly and Kenzie Martinez spearheaded the Blues offense. Kelly drilled a team-high 14 kills with Martinez adding 13 more and hitting at a solid .250 clip.
Teia Magaoay handed out 19 assists while posting 13 digs, and Jamie Bartok recorded a match-high 15 digs.
Whitman was unfortunate to not win the opening set after falling in extra points. The Blues expanded on a one-point lead with a quick 4-0 run to go up 17-12. Kelly got on a block with Lilli Thompson, then recorded a pair of aces to put her team in the driver's seat.Â
Sul Ross rallied and shaved the deficit to one point after three straight kills from Taryn Griner. The Blues later had to stave off match point with a Kelly kill, but Sul Ross closed the set with back-to-back points.
Sul Ross appeared on its way to a two-set lead after scoring the first five points of set two. Whitman responded in kind, however, as Kelly led a run of six straight points to give the Blues the lead. Whitman pushed the lead to five points but after a 6-0 Sul Ross run, trailed 16-15. The Blues evened the match and never trailed the rest of the way in what was a nail-biter of a win. Christina Boxberger gave the Blues set point with a kill, and Thomspon closed the door with a kill of her own.
Whitman was unfortunately unable to steal the momentum and dropped sets three and four to fall in four.
The Blues now pay the Lone Star state a visit when they travel to Texas for four games beginning with the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor on Friday, Sept. 9 at 12:00 p.m. CT (10:00 a.m. CT).
