CLAREMONT, Calif. — Pomona-Pitzer women's volleyball split a pair of matches Saturday at Voelkel Gymnasium to close out the Whittier Invite, defeating Whitman 3-1 (25-17, 25-22, 22-25, 25-17) before falling to Pacific Lutheran 3-1 (22-25, 25-21, 21-25, 22-25).
Season Impact: The Sagehens moved to 6-3 on the season with Saturday's results.
Sagehens 3, Whitman 1
Kayla Thienprasiddhi and
Ella Mesard led the Sagehens with eight and nine kills, respectively, while
CC Porter added eight kills on a .500 hitting percentage.
Anna Krebs contributed seven kills and
Charlotte Sekerka added five.
Corrina Benson recorded five aces and 14 digs, while
Paige Butler finished with 19 assists and
Sophie Mies added 12 assists.
Pomona-Pitzer took control early in set one, turning a 9-9 tie into a 15-9 advantage with a 6-0 run. Benson recorded a pair of aces during the stretch, while Mesard, Sekerka and Porter added kills. The Sagehens continued to hold the Blues at bay and closed out the opener 25-17.
The Sagehens again gained an early advantage in set two, opening with a 5-0 run before building a 17-9 lead. Whitman rallied with seven straight points to pull within 17-16, but Pomona-Pitzer answered to regain a 22-17 advantage. The Blues again cut the margin to two late, but a Whitman service error gave the Sagehens a 25-22 win and a 2-0 match lead.
Whitman responded in set three, with the Blues battling back from a 16-12 deficit to take a 17-16 lead. The teams traded points down the stretch before Whitman pulled away late for a 25-22 win, forcing a fourth set. Pomona-Pitzer quickly regained momentum in the fourth, building a 12-5 lead before Whitman battled back. The Sagehens later opened a 21-14 advantage, and despite a late Blues push, closed out the set 25-17 to secure the 3-1 victory.
Sagehens 1, Pacific Lutheran 3
Thienprasiddhi led the Sagehens with 14 kills, while Porter added 11 kills on a .417 hitting percentage. Sekerka contributed 10 kills on a .429 clip, and
Matsa Shi added six kills and 20 digs. Benson recorded 27 digs, while Butler dished out 24 assists.
Pomona-Pitzer and Pacific Lutheran traded points early in the opening set before the Lutes built a 13-7 advantage. The Sagehens battled back, using kills from Porter, Sekerka and Shi to eventually tie the set at 18-18. The teams remained close late, but Pacific Lutheran scored the final three points to take the set 25-22.
The Sagehens responded in set two, overcoming a 9-7 deficit to take a 13-12 lead. A three-point run highlighted by a Shi ace and kills from Shi and Thienprasiddhi pushed Pomona-Pitzer ahead 15-13. The Sagehens later opened a 19-15 advantage and held off a late Lutes rally, with a Sekerka kill closing out the 25-21 win and tying the match at 1-1.
Pacific Lutheran built a 17-13 advantage in set three after a four-point run, but the Sagehens battled back behind kills from Porter and Sekerka and a pair of Butler points to pull within 22-21. The Lutes scored the final three points, however, to take the set 25-21 and regain the match lead.
Pomona-Pitzer made a strong push in the fourth set, turning a 15-12 deficit into a 20-16 lead behind kills from Shi and Thienprasiddhi and a pair of blocks. Pacific Lutheran responded with a 4-0 run to tie the set at 20-20. The teams traded points to 22-22 before the Lutes scored the final three points to take the set 25-22 and the match 3-1.
Up Next: Pomona-Pitzer will compete in the Cal Lutheran Invite next weekend, Sept. 18-19.
