Whitman opened its season on a splendid note Friday morning with a 3-0 victory over Iowa's Loras College as the Puget Sound Invitational got underway in Tacoma, Wash.
Loras, an NCAA Div. III school, is coming off a tough 2004 season that saw the Duhawks fall to 8-25. That broke a string of seven consecutive seasons in which Loras posted records of .500 or better.
For Whitman, Friday's victory was the fourth season-opening triumph in as many years.
Sophomore Lydia Hayes spurred the offense with 14 kills and a .435 hitting percentage. Rosa Brey, a first-year middle blocker, added 10 kills while hitting .421. Juniors Kate Borsato and Emily Seider chipped in with 25 assists and five blocks, respectively. First-year player Kirsten Brown keyed the defense with eight digs.
Despite a combined 26 kills and 21 digs from sophomores Lydia Hayes and Leslie Compean, the Whitman women's volleyball team dropped a tight 3-1 decision to Puget Sound in Friday afternoon action at the Puget Sound Invitational in Tacoma, Wash.
The two sides split the first two games, each team winning by five points. Puget Sound took game three 30-27 and then closed out the match with a 30-23 victory in game four.
Hayes keyed the Missionary offense with 16 kills while Compean added 10 kills and 14 digs. Junior setter Kate Borsato handed out 39 assists. First-year middle blocker Rosa Brey posted strong numbers, hitting .409 with nine kills in addition to eight blocks at the net. Junior Emily Seider chipped in with nine kills, and sophomore Kaelyn Merkel retrieved 11 digs.
As a team, Whitman outhit Puget Sound .232 to .186. But according to the stat sheet, Puget Sound registered a huge 91-51 advantage in digs.
After splitting Friday's two matches, the Whitman women's volleyball team lost in three games to British Columbia's Trinity Western University in Saturday morning action at the Puget Sound Invitational in Tacoma, Wash. The Missionaries fell 30-20, 30-21, 30-10 in what is considered an exhibition match because Trinity Western plays the majority of its matches against Canadian opponents. The match outcome and individual statistics do not count on Whitman's record.
The Spartans, who play at a level equivalent to NCAA Division I, did not drop a single game in four matches at the two-day invitational. Although Whitman coach Dean Snider was not surprised by the loss, he expected a better effort from his team in the third and final game.
"We played hard for the first couple games and competed," Snider said. "But I was a little disappointed with our effort in the final game."
Even though the Missionaries were "overwhelmed" in that third game, the experience should help them prepare for conference play, Snider said.
Later this afternoon, Whitman plays its final tournament match against defending Northwest Conference champs Pacific Lutheran University, which begins the season ranked 22nd nationally.
The Whitman volleyball team finished its trip to Tacoma with a bang Saturday afternoon, knocking off defending Northwest Conference champion Pacific Lutheran in five sets. The win moves the Missionaries to 2-1 on the young season, while the Lutes drop to 1-1.
If the Missionaries were intimidated by the 22-ranked team in the nation, according to early season polls, they sure didn't show it. Whitman nabbed the first two sets 30-25, 34-32, riding the offense of hard-hitting sophomore Lydia Hayes and the consistent setting of junior team captain Kate Borsato. After dropping the next two games, Whitman fought back and completed the upset by winning the fifth set 15-11.
"We made an adjustment in the PLU match," coach Dean Snider said, "and it seemed to make a big difference. To that point we had not gelled. PLU was definitely our best match of the tournament."
Led by Hayes, who posted 24 kills, four digs and three aces while hitting a lofty .391, the Missionary attack was clicking on all cylinders. Borsato contributed 56 assists.
Whitman also dominated the net with 18 blocks. Sophomores Kristen Marshall and Leslie Compean had four and three blocks, respectively, while also combining for 24 kills. Libero Kaelyn Merkel had 15 digs.
Hayes ended her tournament with 75 kills while hitting .412 in four matches, a feat which Snider tabbed "absolutely astounding." She was one of two Missionaries to receive all-tournament honors, the other being Borsato.
Whitman tries to keep its momentum going against Eastern Oregon University in La Grande this Wednesday at 6 p.m.
The Whitman volleyball team suffered its second loss of the season Wednesday night in La Grande, falling to NCAA Div. II Eastern Oregon in straight sets 30- 27-30-24, 30-27. The loss drops the Missionaries to 2-2 on the young season, while the Mountaineers improve to 2-1.
The difference in the match proved to be the serves of Eastern Oregon; the Mountaineers accumulated 10 service aces. "They served us really tough," coach Dean Snider said. "Without those aces the match really could have gone either way."
Whitman played well throughout, receiving impressive offensive performances that made the match competitive. Sophomore Lydia Hayes led the way with 15 kills in her first match since receiving NWC Player of the Week honors. First- year middle blocker Rosa Brey added nine kills and four blocks, and sophomore Leslie Compean pounded seven kills to go along with nine digs. Kristen Marshall, also a sophomore, added seven kills in 12 attempts with no errors for a .583 hitting percentage.
Junior captain Kate Borsato posted 35 assists for the Missionaries, and defensive specialist Kaelyn Merkel had 13 digs.
Whitman stays on the road this weekend, traveling to Claremont, Calif., to play in the Pacific Coast Classic. The Missionaries face the University of La Verne at 2 p.m. Friday, the first of four matches over the two-day tournament.
The Whitman volleyball team dropped its first match of the Pacific Coast Classic to the University of La Verne on Friday, falling 30-19, 30-25, 30-15. The loss drops the Missionaries to 2-3 on the season, while La Verne improves to 1-1.
La Verne began the season with a No. 7 national ranking in NCAA Div. III. The Panthers were 33-4 last fall and advanced as far as the national semifinals.
The Missionary offense was again led by sophomore Lydia Hayes, who pounded eight kills in the three games. Junior outside hitter Emily Seider added five kills, and junior setter Kate Borsato contributed 21 assists. Defensive specialist Kaelyn Merkel had six digs.
Whitman faces Whittier College later today in its second match of the tournament, which is being hosted by Pomono-Pitzer in Claremont, Calif.
The Whitman volleyball team evened its record in the Pacific Coast Classic by knocking off Whittier College in straight sets Friday afternoon in 30-24, 30- 18, 30-18. The Missionaries jump to 3-3 on the season, while Whittier falls to 0-2.
Whitman jumped to an early lead over the Poets and never looked back. Missionary floor general and team captain Kate Borsato spread the wealth to all Whitman hitters, piling up 37 total assists in the process.
First-year middle blocker Rosa Brey led the Whitman attack with 11 kills. Sophomore outside hitter Lydia Hayes wasn't far behind, compiling nine kills of her own.
A solid defensive effort was also key in the Whitman victory. First-year player Kristen Brown and junior Kaelyn Merkel shared the load defensively with seven assists apiece.
The Missionaries start day two of the tournament at 10 a.m. tomorrow, facing Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and then Pomona-Pitzer.
Day two of the Pacific Coast Classic began just as day one ended for the Whitman volleyball team -- with a victory. The Missionaries beat Claremont-Mudd- Scripps in a four-set battle Saturday morning at the tournament in Claremont, Calif., winning 30-22, 23-30, 30-25, 30 -21. Whitman is now 4-3 on the season, while CMS drops to 2-2.
Captain Kate Borsato set the tempo offensively for the Missionaries, but it was the Whitman defensive effort that made the difference.
Whitman managed 13 total blocks. First-year middle blocker Rosa Brey and sophomore outside hitter combined for six blocks, while Borsato and sophomore Christy Irvine added two apiece.
Borsato also managed eight digs and tallied 47 assists, 18 of which were converted into kills by her favorite targe, sophomore Lydia Hayes. Brey and Compean also made significant offensive contributions with 13 and 12 kills, respectively. Kaelyn Merkel chipped in a team-high 12 digs.
Whitman plays Pomona-Pitzer, the tournament host, in today's second match.
Staging a remarkable comeback, the Whitman women's volleyball team rallied to beat host Pomona-Pitzer in five games in Saturday's final round action of the Pacific Coast Classic in Claremont, Calif. The scores were 21-30, 27-30, 30- 27, 30-27, 15-12.
The Missionaries finished with a 3-1 tournament record, improving its season record to 5-3 overall. Pomona-Pitzer drops to 1-2 in the tourney, 2-2 overall.
Down two games, the resilient Missionaries battled back to force a fifth game, and then recovered from a 4-0 deficit in that deciding game, winning the last seven points of the match. "What a great way to end the tournament," coach Dean Snider beamed. "We battled back and got a good win."
Whitman again pulled out the victory by controlling the net with 15.5 blocks. First-year middle blocker Rosa Brey anchored the wall of defenders with four blocks. Sophomores Kristen Marshall and Lydia Hayes combined for seven more. Also big defensively was libero Kaelyn Merkel, who added 14 digs.
Junior setter Kate Borsato compiled 46 assists to go along with five digs and two blocks. Hayes led the attack with 20 kills, although junior Emily Seider wasn't far behind with 15 kills of her own.
The all-tournament team had yet to be announced. Please check back later for that information.
Whitman begins Northwest Conference play next Friday against Lewis & Clark in Portland, Ore.
The Whitman women's volleyball team was in mid-season form in its first Northwest Conference match of the season Friday night,rolling past Lewis & Clark in four games 30-23, 29-31, 30-21, 32-30 in Portland, Ore. Winning their fourth straight match, the Missionaries improved to 6-3 on the season. The Pioneers, also playing first NWC game, dropped to 4-4 overall.
After splitting the first two games, Whitman seized momentum in the pivotal third game. "I really thought we came out and dominated that third game," coach Dean Snider said. "Our big hitters stepped up, Kate [Borsato] spread the ball around well, and we controlled the net."
With a 2-1 lead in games, the Missionaries were slightly complacent to start the fourth game, falling behind 10-4 before storming back. They eventually fought off two game points to finish off the Pioneers.
The Missionaries posted incredible offensive numbers, ending the match with four hitters in double figures. Lydia Hayes, a sophomore outside hitter, led the way with 21 kills, 13 digs and three solo blocks. First-year middle blocker Rosa Brey added 17 kills, 11 digs, and four solo blocks. Sophomore Leslie Compean had 14 kills and eight digs, and junior Emily Seider also reached double-digit kills with 10.
Borsato, Whitman's junior captain, posted a season-high 61 assists while also contributing defensively with 10 digs. "It was a great game numbers-wise," Snider said, "but when you have an attack that is this balanced the credit has to go to the setter. Kate set a fantastic game."
Sophomore Kaelyn Merkel led Whitman's defense with 16 digs.
Whitman tries to ride it momentum into Newberg, Ore., on Saturday to face George Fox at 7 p.m.
Notching its second Northwest Conference road victory of the weekend, the Whitman College women's volleyball team slipped past George Fox in three close games Saturday night, handing Missionary head coach Dean Snider his 200th career coaching victory.
Winning 30-27, 32-30 and 30-28, Whitman posted its fifth consecutive victory, pushing its record to 7-3 on the season and 2-0 to start the NWC season.
Snider hit the 200-win plateau in his 14th coaching season. Now in his 10th year at Whitman, Snider also coached four seasons at Western Washington University.
"This wasn't a great match in terms of either side establishing any kind of flow," Snider said. "But we scratched and clawed and found a way to win."
With junior setter Kate Borsato handing out 37 assists, Whitman fielded a balanced offensive attack and threw up a wall on the defensive side of the net with 18 total blocks.
Leslie Compean, a 6-foot sophomore outside hitter, hit .500 with 14 kills to go with six blocks and 10 digs. Rosa Brey, a 5-foot-10 first-year middle blocker, combined 12 kills with 12 digs and eight blocks. Outside hitter Lydia Hayes, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, added 10 kills and 10 digs.
"Leslie was our kill leader tonight and had only one error, and she was probably our best player on the court," Snider said. "Rosa was also a force for us, once again."
The Missionaries also took advantage of eight service aces, including three by first-year player Kristan Brown.
With Whitman leading 28-27 in game one, Brey slammed a kill and then teamed with Compean for a block to close out the game.
Game two was knotted at 30-30 when Brey's kill gave the Missionaries another game point. This time it was Brey and Hayes combining for the game-winning block.
George Fox inched in front 28-24 near the end of game three. But with Brey serving, Whitman took the next six points to win the game and match. Two of those final six points came on Brey service aces.
Whitman plays its first home matches of the season next weekend. The Missionaries host Pacific on Friday, Sept. 23, and Linfield on Saturday. Both matches start at 7 p.m. in Sherwood Center.
Trailing 12-10 in the deciding fifth game, Pacific scored five of the final six points to rally past Whitman in Northwest Conference volleyball action Friday night in Sherwood Center. The visiting Boxers outlasted Whitman 32-30, 21-30, 24-30, 30-24, 15-13.
Pacific upped its record to 1-2 in the NWC and 8-4 overall. The Missionaries slipped to 2-1 in conference and 7-4 overall.
Game one set the tone for a tightly contested match and Pacific's eventual comeback victory. Neither side led by more than four points in the opener, which featured deadlocked scores on 13 occasions. Whitman let two game points slip away before Pacific tallied the final three points to grab a 1-0 lead.
Leading 17-14 in game two, the Missionaries reeled off six straight points on Kristen Brown's serve to take control, winning game two as well as game three.
After Pacific bounced back to capture the fourth game, a home crowd of about 250 people did its best to spark Whitman to victory. The Missionaries jumped in front 10-7 and 12-10 in game five before the Boxers rallied one last time. Kills by Melissa Dunn both triggered and wrapped up Pacific's final rally. Pacific hit a lofty .438 in winning the deciding game.
The Missionaries were strong at the net against the smaller Boxers, posting 16 team blocks. Lydia Hayes and Rosa Brey led the defense with three blocks each. Brey also had 17 digs for Whitman. Kate Borsato and Kaelyn Merkel added 13 and 11 digs, respectively.
Whitman had three hitters with double-digit kills. Hayes and Compean had 16 each. Brey chipped in with 10 kills, while Borsato handed out 43 assists.
Dunn led Pacific with 18 kills and 10 digs. Sarah Monda added 11 digs. Hannah Gordon finished with 26 digs for the Boxers.
Whitman faces another tough test at 7 p.m. Saturday when its hosts Linfield, which suffered its first loss of the season Friday night at Whitworth. Pacific plays at Whitworth Saturday.
A strong start turned sour for the Whitman women's volleyball team Saturday night as the Missionaries skidded to a three-game loss to Linfield in Sherwood Center. On the verge of losing game one by a decisive margin, the Wildcats reeled off nine unanswered points to win 30-28. The visitors then rode that momentum to 30-20 and 30-22 victories in games two and three to close out the match.
Linfield, which lost for the first time this season Friday night at Whitworth, improved to 11-1 on the season and 3-1 in Northwest Conference play. Whitman fell to 7-5 overall and 2-2 in the NWC.
With Linfield leading the first game 16-15, Whitman took charge with a 13-5 run that had the Missionaries on top 28-21. The host squad failed to score another point, however, as the Wildcats scored nine straight to win the game.
Linfield jumped in front 7-1 to start game two, although Whitman recouped and closed the gap to 12-10. An eight-point run gave the Wildcats a double-digit lead, however, and the Missionaries came no closer than eight points the rest of the way.
Whitman grabbed the early advantage in game three, forging ahead 10-5. After pulling even at 13-13 and 16-16, Linfield eased in front and led 25-22 with time running out on the Missionaries. The Wildcats then tallied the final five points to claim the victory.
Two players for each team posted 12 kills each. For Whitman, it was sophomores Leslie Compean and Lydia Hayes, while senior Lindsay Harksen and junior Lauren Kreiger had a dozen apiece for Linfield. Whitman's Emily Seider added 11 kills. Linfield got nine kills from Molly Taylor, eight from Kelsey French and seven from Lisa Brocard.
In the battle of junior setters, Whitman's Kate Borsato handed out 36 assists, four more than Linfield's Chelsey Gellatly.
Dig leaders for Whitman were Kaelyn Merkel and Rosa Brey with 16 and 10, respectively. Kelly Rilee led Linfield with 13 digs. Gellatly and Staci Fisher added nine each for the Wildcats.
The Whitman volleyball team fell to Pacific Lutheran in three games Friday night in Tacoma, Wash., losing 30-20, 30-23, 30-28. The loss drops the Missionaries to 7-6 on the season and 2-3 in the Northwest Conference. The Lutes improve to 4-1 in the NWC and 7-5 overall.
Falling behind 10-2 in the first game, Whitman dug itself into a hole that set the tone for the rest of the match.
Whitman rallied in game two to pull within one point at 20-19, but the strong Lutes won 10 of the next 14 points to put the Missionaries away.
Whitman showed some heart in the third game. After trailing 28-21, and then 29-24, the resilient Missionaries made a game of it before eventually losing by the two-point minimum.
The Missionaries failed to establish an effective block at the net, which has been one of their strong suits. They managed just two blocks to seven for the Lutes. Sophomores Lydia Hayes and Kaelyn Merkel led the Whitman defense with 12 and nine digs, respectively.
Offensively, Hayes and first-year middle blocker Rosa Brey led Whitman with 11 kills each. Sophomore Leslie Compean added eight kills. Junior captain Kate Borsato distributed 27 assists and had five digs.
The Missionaries stay in Tacoma to play Puget Sound tomorrow at 6 p.m.
The Whitman volleyball team dropped its fourth straight match Saturday night, falling 30-25, 30-21, 30-17 to Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash. The Missionaries are 7-7 on the season and 2-4 in the Northwest Conference. The Loggers are 7-3, 4-2 in the NWC.
Game one featured six ties and ten lead changes. A Lydia Hayes kill followed by a Puget Sound service error pulled Whitman to within two points at 26-24, but Puget Sound scored four of the next five points to close out the game.
Game two was not as close. Hayes had four kills for Whitman, but with the offense generating little else in the way of firepower, the Missionaries fell behind early and were unable to mount a serious challenge.
The two sides were tied at 11 in the third game before the Loggers won eight of the next 10 points and cruised to victory.
Hayes led Whitman with nine kills and eight digs. Setter Kate Borsato managed 22 assists and eight digs, while Kaelyn Merkel keyed the defense with 12 digs. Leslie Compean combined nine digs with five kills.
Whitman returns home to Sherwood Center this week for two more NWC matches. The Missionaries host Whitworth on Wednesday and Willamette on Saturday.
The Whitman volleyball team fell to Northwest Conference-leading Whitworth in three games, 30-16, 30-24, 30-21, Wednesday night in Sherwood Center. The Missionaries skidded to 2-5 in conference and 7-8 overall, while Whitworth elevated its record to 7-0 in the NWC and 10-2 on the season.
Whitworth jumped in front 5-1 in game one and never let up after that, winning 22 points before Whitman was in double digits. The game ended on a kill by Angie Florence, assisted by Rebekah Horner, just one of Horner's 42 set assists on the night. Whitworth also outhit the Missionaries .576 to .088 in game one.
The Missionaries came out stronger in game two and trailed by just two points, 17-15, before Whitworth went on a roll to eventually win by six points.
Both teams came out fighting in game three. With the score knotted at 19, Whitworth eased in front 24-21, at which point Whitman captain and setter Kate Borsato went down in a collision with a teammate. The Missionaries failed to score again as the Pirates closed out the match with the next six points.
"Whitworth is a good team with strong hitters, and we just couldn't find our rhythm tonight," Whitman coach Dean Snider said. "I was proud of the way our team battled back after getting beat badly in game one, but Whitworth was the better team tonight."
Sophomore outside hitter Leslie Compean led the Missionaries with nine kills and seven digs. Sophomore Lydia Hayes, who was leading the NWC in kills per game entering the match, finished with seven kills. Borsato had 24 assists.
The Pirates got big games from Natalie Danielson and Carey Guhlke with 16 and 14 kills, respectively. Hornor led Whitworth with 42 assists. Holly Coleman chipped in 13 digs.
Whitman returns to action at 7 p.m. this Saturday when Willamette visits Sherwood Center. Whitworth hosts Willamette Friday night in Spokane.
Whitman overcame a scrappy Willamette defense to snap its five-match losing skid Saturday night in Sherwood Center, defeating the Bearcats in four games, 30-24, 25-30, 30-20, 30-26.
The Missionaries evened their season record at 8-8 and improved to 3-5 in Northwest Conference play. Willamette drops to 1-11 overall, 1-7 in conference.
Game one remained close throughout. Two Willamette attack errors gave Whitman a 24-19 lead, but the Bearcats rallied to within two points at 24-22. The Missionaries regained the momentum, scoring the next four points to put the game out of reach.
Whitman came out slow in game two and eventually hit a dismal .056. Willamette took advantage of the struggling Missionary offense, building a 16-9 lead midway through the second game. Whitman pulled to within four at 27-23 but never got any closer.
After the break, the Missionaries looked like a new team. "We made a few offensive adjustments prior to the start of the third game," coach Dean Snider said. "They seemed to work well."
Whitman jumped to a 4-0 lead in game three, thanks in part to two Rosa Brey kills. After bouncing back to within one point at 12-11, the Bearcats went cold and Whitman reeled off nine of the next 11 points to seize control. Outside hitter Lydia Hayes dominated game three with eight kills, while Brey had five.
Whitman raced away to a commanding 18-9 lead in game four, but the Bearcats rallied. Down 25-17, Willamette scored eight straight points on Kristen Kutara's serve to cut its deficit to just one point. Jessica Durham had three kills in the eight-point swing. Whitman defused the comeback bid, however, finishing off the Bearcats on a Kate Borsato kill.
"Willamette is an excellent defensive team," Snider said. "They were digging everything tonight. We need to bring our A-game to win in this conference, and tonight I think we did that."
Hayes led all hitters with 21 kills on the night, hitting a lofty .364 with 44 attempts. Brey, who came up big in games three and four, ended her night 14 kills. Borsato finished with 44 kills. Leslie Compean and Kaelyn Merkel set the defensive tone for Whitman with 15 and 10 kills, respectively.
The Bearcat duo of Durham and McGraw proved unstoppable for most of the night, posting 20 and 19 kills, respectively. Setter Jessica Drumm handed out 57 assists. Defensively Willamette had three players with double figure digs, led by Veroncia Schneider with 21.
Whitman sees its next action Friday, hosting Lewis & Clark at 7 p.m. Willamette travels to Tacoma next Friday to face Puget Sound.
The Whitman women's volleyball team completed its season sweep of Lewis & Clark with a three-game victory Friday night in Sherwood Center. Winning 31-29, 30- 26, 30-22, Whitman upped its record to 9-8 on the season, 4-5 in Northwest Conference play. The Pioneers fell to 6-11, 2-7 in the NWC.
Game one, a tight battle throughout, turned on two big Missionary blocks late in the contest. With Whitman down 27-25, middle blocker Rosa Brey and outside hitter Lydia Hayed combined for a double block that prevented the game from slipping away. After the Missionaries tallied two of the next three points to knot the socre at 28, setter Kate Borsato and outside hitter Kristen Marshall executed another devastating double block to give Whitman a 29-28 lead. A kill by Lewis & Clark's Tamara Moores tied the game at 29, but a Lewis & Clark service error and a kill by Marshall sealed the deal for Whitman.
Whitman came out strong in game two, building a 10-3 lead. Lewis & Clark battled back, scoring six straight points to make it 10-9. The game remained close until another Missionary block, this time by Brey and outside hitter Emily Seider, propelled Whitman to a 26-23 lead that wouldn't be squandered.
Whitman took control in game three, cruising to a 23-14 lead. The Pioneers refused to quit, and a Leah Collins ace followed by a few costly Missionary hitting errors pulled the visitors to within 23-19. Whitman's answer was one of the conference leaders kills, Lydia Hayes, who pounded a Borsato set to break the Pioneer rally. Hayes then added an ace on the very next serve to all but seal the Missionary sweep.
"It was great to see our girls show a killer instinct out there," Whitman coach Dean Snider said. "Lewis & Clark has a big front line and blocked us tough, but we were resilient and kept bringing it."
The Missionaries and the Pioneers both finished the game with eight blocks. Marshall and Brey finished with 2.5 blocks each for Whitman, while the Pioneers were led by Audrey Dilling's 4.5 block.
Hayes slammed 14 kills to lead Whitman. Sophomore Leslie Compean also had a big night for the Missionaries with 13 kills while hitting a lofty .409. Borsato, who led all players with 35 assists, also had eight digs and three service aces. Brey had a match-high 15 digs along with seven kills.
The Pioneers were led by Nicki Smith's game-high 16 kills. Andrea Chase had a double-digit night with 10 kills. Setter Tamara Moores finished with 31 kills. Leah Collins added 10 digs.
Whitman's hitting percentage improved each game, topping off at .286 in the finale. The Pioneers hit .300 in the second game.
"I was really happy with our hitting," Snider said. "You always like to see percentages improve as the game goes on. We finished well. Now we need to keep this up."
Whitman continues its weekend homestand when it hosts George Fox at 7 p.m. Saturday. The Bruins lost in three games at Whitworth Friday night and are now tied with Whitman for fifth place in the NWC. The Missionaries edged the Bruins in three close games last month.
Lewis & Clark plays Saturday at Whitworth.
Defeating George Fox for the second time this season, Whitman upended the Bruins in four games Saturday night in Sherwood Center, 30-28, 30-26, 24-30, 30- 19.
The win brings Whitman's record to 5-5 in Northwest Conference play and 10-8 overall. George Fox slipped to 4-6 in conference and 9-8 on the season.
Game one was tightly contested with 10 ties. George Fox led 26-22 late in the game, but after taking a time-out, Whitman came out firing to score the next four points. A George Fox time-out failed to stem the Missionary momentum. Leslie Compean and Kristen Marshall combined for two blocks for Whitman's 28th and 29th points, and Compean slammed home the final point.
The Missionaries trailed most of the way in game two before pulling even at 20- 20. A block by Rosa Brey and Lydia Hayes then gave Whitman a lead it held the rest of the way.
George Fox regrouped and led game three from start to finish. Trailing 21-14, the Missionaries rallied to within a single point at 24-23. The host squad drew no closer, however, as the Bruins held on for the win.
Whitman dominated the fourth game, building an early 13-3 lead. George Fox managed to cut its deficit to 20-15 before a final Whitman burst closed out the match.
"It was another tough conference match," Whitman coach Dean Snider said. The match was critical for both teams, he noted, in that they were tied in the NWC standings at the start of the day.
"Tonight's win can be attributed to our presence at the net," Snider added. The Missionaries had 17 blocks compared to the nine for the Bruins. Those 17 blocks set a new NWC single-match high for this season, topping the 16 blocks Pacific Lutheran and Puget Sound posted in five-game victories last month.
Marshall had a hand in eight block assists, in addition to one solo block. She also had nine kills while hitting .364.
Hayes, who led Whitman in kills with 18, also had 18 digs. Compean and Brey also reached double digits in kills with 14 and 10, respectively. Other Missionary leaders included Kate Borsato, who had 51 assists and a team-high 20 digs.
For the Bruins, Elizabeth Anderson led the way with 13 kills, followed by Linzi Stolsig and Whitney Kolb, each with 11. Amy Knight led George Fox in assists with 46. Haley Stapleton had 25 digs while Stolsig added 19 more.
The surging Whitman volleyball team pulled off its fourth straight Northwest Conference victory Friday night, defeating Pacific University 3-1 in Forest Grove, Ore. The Missionaries dropped the Boxers in four games, 30-27, 27-30, 30- 27, 30-24.
The win bumps the Missionaries above .500 in the NWC to 6-5, and to 11-8 on the season. The loss leaves the Boxers at 1-10 in NWC play and 8-13 overall.
Whitman showed much improvement from the first match between the two teams last month. Pacific rallied in that contest to win in five games, its only conference victory of the season.
In Friday's rematch, Whitman jumped to an 8-4 lead, only to see the Boxers come back to tie the game at 9-9. After the Missionaries again built a lead on a 6-1 run, Pacific responded to knot the game at 20 apiece. Whitman won the next point and never again trailed, eventually winning the game on a kill by sophomore Lydia Hayes.
Pacific turned the tables in game two, bouncing back from a 25-21 deficit to win the game and even the match at 1-1.
Game three was close the whole way. The Missionaries finally pulled ahead 26-22 and then closed out the game on another kill by Hayes.
Game four was just as close. Up 25-23, Whitman scored five of the next six points to seal the victory. This time it was first-year middle blocker Rosa Brey with the final kill.
Brey led the attack the Missionary attack with 20 kills and a .325 hitting percentage. Hayes and sophomore Leslie Compean also reached double digits in kills with 16 and 15, respectively. Junior setter Kate Borsato Handed out 55 assists.
Hayes with 21 digs paced the defense. Sophomore Kaelyn Merkel chipped in with 14 digs, while Brey added 11 and Borsato had 10.
Compean was strong at the net with three blocks, two of them solo. Brey had three block assists.
The Missionaries travel to McMinnville, Ore., on Saturday to battle Linfield.
The Whitman volleyball team saw its four-match win streak broken in a three-game loss at Linfield Saturday night. The host Wildcats prevailed 30-18, 30-15, 30- 19.
The loss leaves the Missionaries with records of 11-9 on the season and 6-6 in Northwest Conference play, keeping them in the middle of the pack in NWC standings as the fifth of nine teams. The win lifts the Wildcats to 9-3 in conference play, 17-3 overall.
With game one locked at 11, the Missionaries couldn't keep pace as the Wildcats uncorked a 19-7 spurt to close out game one by a wide margin.
Whitman fared no better in game two. The Missionaries stayed even early, gaining a 7-6 advantage, and pulled within three at 17-14 before Linfield went on a 13-1 run to take the game.
Linfield led the entire way in game three, cruising to a 30-19 victory to win the match.
Lydia Hayes slammed 12 kills on the evening to lead Whitman's offensive attack. Rosa Brey and Emily Seider added eight kills each. Kate Borsato had 28 while Leslie Compean recorded a team-high 12 digs, one more than Brey.
Whitman returns home next weekend to face Pacific Lutheran at 7 p.m. Friday night in Sherwood Center.