La Verne, Calif. – Whitworth opened the 2014 volleyball season with a pair of losses on the opening day of the Pacific Coast Classic.  The Pirates dropped a 3-0 decision to 2013 NCAA Division III runner-up California Lutheran and suffered a 3-1 setback to host La Verne on Friday.

"Although losing is never easy to swallow, I think we learned a lot about our team today and what our strengths and weaknesses are," said Whitworth head coach Kati Bodecker. "I thought we showed glimpses of greatness, but we struggled to come up with defensive stops against two very sound offensive teams. We need to react better on defense. We need to read hitters better and make adjustments with our block. We have a new group out there and it will take some time to find our identity."

The Pirates conclude the Pacific Coast Classic on Saturday with matches against Chapman and Pomona-Pitzer on Pomona's campus in Claremont, California.

Cal Lutheran defeated Whitworth 25-17, 25-13, 25-21 in the Bucs' season-opener.  The Pirates hit only 0.021 in the match.  Nicole Leonard led Whitworth with seven kills and she added six digs.  Maddye Dinsmore assisted on all 20 Pirate kills in the match.  Michelle Lawrence led CLU with 14 kills and a .772 hitting percentage.  The Regals hit .269 as a team.

Host La Verne defeated Whitworth 25-22, 23-25, 25-22, 25-18 in the final match of the day. The Pirates found a better offensive groove, hitting .186 as a team.  Leonard had 16 kills, while Brenna Bruil added 14 kills and hit .414 from her middle blocker position.  Bruil also led the Bucs with six total blocks.  Dinmore dished 38 assists.  Brittany Yaxley led the Leopards (2-0) with 21 kills.