WHITTIER, Ca. – The Pomona-Pitzer volleyball team defeated Whittier in a five set (25-18, 25-22, 14-25, 28-30, 15-13) battle on the road after taking the first two sets and fighting through the fifth set to earn the victory. The Sagehens attack was led by first year Paige Mountanos who recorded 20 kills at a .341 clip while Paige Wilson and Grace Fan both ended the night with 11 kills. In addition to Wilson's 11 kills, she also recorded all three of the team's service aces and picked up 10 digs. Grace Fan also had an impressive night in addition to her kills as she recorded nine total blocks against the Poets. Kylie Mies dished out 30 assists and picked up nine digs while Lauren Asato anchored the defense with 17 digs on the night. 

The Sagehens wasted little time in the opening set, shooting out to a quick 10-3 run that included a 6-0 run in the early going. Whittier chipped away at the lead to cut it to 13-19 but the Sagehens recorded four-straight points with two kills from Paige Wilson and a block from Grace Fan and Paige Mountanos, giving Pomona-Pitzer a 17-9 lead. Whittier was able to counter with a 5-1 run to force a Sagehen timeout at 18-14 but Pomona-Pitzer was able to outscore the Poets 7-4 down the stretch to take set one 25-18 with kills from Chloe Gill and Ella Gardner.

The two teams went back and forth in the beginning of set wo until Whittier used a 5-1 run to take the lead at 12-9. The Sagehens answered right back with an 8-3 run to take the lead at 17-15 and force a Whittier timeout. The run included kills from Paige Mountanos, Grace Fan, and Laurel Park. Out of the break, the Sagehens continued their run, earning the next five of seven points to take the lead at 22-17 with kills from Eleanor Nicholson, Ella Gardner, and Mountanos, forcing another Poet timeout. Out of the timeout, Whittier took the first two points before the Sagehens answered back with the next two to take a 24-19 lead. The Poets went on a 3-0 run to force a Sagehen timeout, but the run was cut there as Paige Mountanos came out of the break with a kill, taking set two 25-22. 

Whittier took the slight advantage in set three with a 6-3 run to start the set before extending their lead to 14-9 to force a Pomona-Pitzer timeout. The Sagehens scored the next three out of the timeout, but Whittier charged forward with a 10-2 run to take set three 25-14. 

Whittier started set four on a 5-2 run and pushed their lead to 12-6 before the Sagehens called a timeout to regroup. The Sagehens bounced right back with a 6-2 run to pull within two at 16-14, forcing the Poets to talk things over. The Sagehens continued to build momentum, using a 7-5 edge with kills from Mountanos, Fan, and Gill along with a Paige Wilson service ace to tie the game at 20-20. Despite the Sagehen surge, the Poets battled back with a 4-2 run to take a 24-22 lead, but Paige Mountanos took over, recording the next three Sagehen kills to lead a 3-1 run, tying the game at 25-25. From there, Kylie Mies recorded a kill to put the Sagehens up 26-25 but the Poets pushed past the Sagehens with a 5-2 run, taking set four 30-28 to force a decisive fifth set. 

Much like the fourth set, the fifth set proved to be a battle between the Sagehens and Poets. The Paige duo (Mountanos, Wilson) recorded the first recorded the first six points for the Sagehens in the fifth set with Mountanos and Wilson both recording three kills, but the Poets hung tough, answering all six point to knot the game at 6-6. The Sagehens continued to attack, working to a 12-10 lead to force a Whittier timeout as Grace Fan and Natalie Potter recorded a block with Chloe Gill and Paige Mountanos both recording kills. Out of the break, the two teams went point for point, but the Sagehens went out on top with a game winning block from Potter and Fan, taking the set 15-13 and the 3-2 victory over the Poets.