SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - The Whitman College women's volleyball team had hoped from some early season success but came up empty on opening day. The Blues fell to both UC Santa Cruz and Hamline on Day 1 of the Pacific Coast Classic.
UCSC 3 Whitman 0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-15)
The opener saw Nicole Kelly drill a match-high 14 kills with Kenzie Martinez adding nine more. The Blues (0-2) were unable to overcome a dominant presence by the Banana Slugs at the net however. UCSC finished with 10 total blocks and forced Whitman into a .124 hitting clip.Â
Kate Lau led the Slugs with 12 kills and five blocks. Emily Pasion did the work on defense with a match-high 20 digs.
Whitman's best shot at taking a set was in the opening frame. Whitman scored the first four points and continued to lead until late in the set. Lau's kill shaved the lead to one point but Kelly capped a mini 3-0 run with a kill to keep the Slugs at arm's length. UCSC rallied with four unanswered but the Blues again pulled out ahead. The two teams traded points down the stretch, but it was a 4-0 set closing run that sealed the win for the Slugs.
Set two saw the Blues trail by as many as eight points before making a run toward the end of the set. A pair of Lilli Thompson kills highlighted a 5-0 run, but Whitman was unable to make it all the way back.
The final set saw UCSC pull away late for the win to complete the sweep.
Hamline 3 Whitman 1 (16-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-19)
Whitman's second match of the day started auspiciously with an opening-set win. The Blues committed zero errors, tallied 15 kills and posted a .500 hitting percentage en route to a dominant first set win.
Hamline weathered the storm over the final three sets, accumulating a .218 hitting mark and held Whitman to a .161 figure that helped them secure 25-23, 25-22, and 25-19 victories en route to a 3-1 decision.
Whitman concludes the Classic on Saturday, Sept. 2 against Cal Lutheran. First serve is set for 10:00 a.m.
