WALLA WALLA, Wash. - The Whitman College women's volleyball team opened its 2026 season Friday at the Whit Classic, sweeping Beloit College before falling to the University of Wisconsin-Stout in its second match at the Sherwood Center. Whitman stands at 1-1 following opening day.
Whitman 3 Beloit 0
The Blues began the 2026 campaign in dominant fashion Friday afternoon, sweeping Beloit College 25-21, 25-10, 25-19 in the opening match of the four-match Classic slate.
The Blues used a balanced attack, sharp serving and steady defensive play to pull away after a competitive first set. Whitman finished the match with a .299 hitting percentage while holding Beloit to .173.
Addie Belt led the Whitman offense with 15 kills on .652 hitting, adding 10 digs and two service aces. Arina Gushchina contributed eight kills, three aces and a match-high 24 digs, while Kendall Herman added seven kills.
Whitman claimed the opening set after Beloit rallied from a 21-14 deficit to pull within 21-19. The Blues answered with four of the final six points, capped by Herman's set-ending kill for the 25-21 win.
The second set belonged entirely to Whitman. After building a 10-3 lead, the Blues used a seven-point service run from Gushchina to turn the set into a rout. Belt delivered five kills in the frame as Whitman hit .571 and rolled to a 25-10 victory.
Beloit led early in the third, but Whitman erased a 6-3 deficit and took control with a 12-4 run. The Blues held a 15-12 edge at the media timeout, then extended the margin to 22-15 before closing out the sweep, 25-19.
Sammy Holmer recorded six kills and four aces, while Haylee Pruse distributed a team-high 13 assists. Lauren Fogliani chipped in 10 digs and two service aces, and the Blues totaled 13 aces as a team.
UW Stout 3 Whitman 0
Whitman was unable to carry its momentum into the nightcap, falling 25-13, 25-19, 25-12 to the University of Wisconsin-Stout Friday evening at the Whit Classic.
The Blues battled in the second set but could not overcome a strong all-around performance from the Blue Devils, who hit .222 for the match and registered nine team blocks. Whitman finished with 23 kills and was limited to a -.027 attack percentage.
Whitman started quickly in the opening set, taking an 11-7 lead behind early kills from Belt, Gushchina and Holmer. Wisconsin-Stout responded with a 14-2 run, however, turning the four-point deficit into a 21-13 advantage on its way to the 25-13 win.
The Blues provided their strongest push in the second set. Trailing 15-12 at the media timeout, Whitman rallied to take a 19-17 lead following a Gushchina kill and a pair of blocks involving Herman, Gushchina and Rowyn Lee. Wisconsin-Stout answered with the final eight points of the set, though, including three consecutive aces to close the 25-19 decision.
The Blue Devils established control early in the third set, opening on a 9-0 run. Whitman fought back with a series of late points, including two aces from Belt and one from Fogliani, but Wisconsin-Stout finished off the straight-set victory, 25-12.
Belt paced Whitman with eight kills, while Gushchina added six kills and 10 digs. Fogliani recorded nine digs, and Moana Massey collected five digs in the defeat.
Whitman returns to action Saturday for the final day of the Whit Classic, taking on Whitworth in a non-conference clash between two Northwest Conference rivals. First serve is set fro 2:00 p.m.
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