WALLA WALLA, Wash. — The Whitman College women's volleyball team went toe-to-toe with rival Whitworth on Tuesday night at the Sherwood Center, but the Blues came up short in a five-set Northwest Conference battle, 25-12, 23-25, 25-12, 20-25, 15-9.
Whitworth improved to 8-2 overall and 2-1 in Northwest Conference play, while Whitman fell to 4-5 overall and 2-1 in the NWC. The Pirates held advantages in kills (59-38), hitting percentage (.188-.095), service aces (11-3) and blocks (9-7).
Whitworth controlled the opening set after an early 5-0 run, with Lindsey Short and Kaylee Winterroth fueling the offense. The Pirates later used another long run to pull away for a 25-12 win. Winterroth had five kills on six attempts without an error in the set, while Short added seven kills.
Whitman answered in the second set. After Whitworth built a 21-16 lead, the Blues rallied behind Kendall Herman and Arina Gushchina to even the score at 23-23. A block by Melia Ferraro gave Whitman set point, and Addie Belt finished the 25-23 victory with a kill from Lauren Fogliani.
The Pirates regained control in the third set, turning a 5-3 lead into a 14-3 advantage during a 9-0 run. Whitworth hit .394 with 14 kills and only one error in the frame. Lauren Kremer and Short each had four kills as the Pirates claimed a 25-12 win.
Whitman delivered its strongest offensive performance in the fourth set, hitting .278 with 11 kills and one error. The Blues broke a 12-12 tie with a 5-1 run, then Belt served consecutive aces to push the margin to 17-14. Gushchina, Sammy Holmer and Rowyn Lee helped Whitman maintain the lead and force a fifth set with a 25-20 victory.
Whitworth took command of the deciding set with a 5-0 run that turned a 2-2 tie into a 7-2 lead. Kremer had a block and a kill during the stretch, while Madison Pridon added a service ace. Whitman closed to 7-5 and later 12-9, but Whitworth scored the final three points to secure the match.
Winterroth led Whitworth with 15 kills and a .345 hitting percentage, while Short recorded a match-high 17 kills. Kremer added 12 kills on .333 hitting, three aces and four total blocks. Pridon finished with 38 assists and three aces, and Olivia Paul had 12 digs.
Lee paced Whitman with seven kills on .353 hitting and three block assists. Belt added seven kills, three aces and three total blocks, while Herman finished with seven kills and three blocks. Gushchina had seven kills and a team-high nine digs, Holmer added seven kills, and Fogliani led the Blues with 13 digs.
The Blues hit the road for the first time during conference play, visiting Pacific this Saturday, Oct. 21 at 7:00 p.m.
#GoWhitman
