WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whitworth volleyball team picked up a split of its two matches on Friday at the Whittier College Invitational, sweeping Chapman University before falling in four sets to the host Poets.
Kaity Barr totaled 29 points for the Pirates (2-4), who will play Pomona-Pitzer and La Verne on Saturday at the La Verne Invitational.
Whitworth 3, Chapman 0 – Barr had a match-high 16.5 points to lead the Pirates to a 25-23, 25-23, 25-20 sweep of the Panthers (2-2) in Friday's first match of the day.
Barr finished with 11 kills and a .500 hitting percentage on offense. She added three service aces and was in on four blocks (1 solo, three assists). Ella Jimenez added 11.0 points on 10 blocks and two block assists. Jimenez hit .350 in the match.
The Pirates barely pulled out the first two sets. Whitworth trailed 23-22 in the first before scoring the final three points. Abigail Hudson had the set-clinching kill. The Bucs scored the final two points of the second frame to break a 23-23 tie, with Jimenez getting the clinching kill. Leading 18-17 in the third, the Pirates took control with five straight points, which included a kill and block from Barr. Barr's final kill ended the match.
Mya Rodriguez (18) and Josephine Thompson (14) combined for 32 assists and Taylor Miche finished with 20 digs.
Whittier 3, Whitworth 1 – The Pirates had to take the court immediately after the win over Chapman and it showed in a 25-23, 25-23, 22-25, 25-23 setback to the Poets.
Barr and Logan Spencer led Whitworth with 12.5 points apiece, while Hudson had 12.0 points. Barr had seven kills, two service aces and six blocks (one solo, five assists). Spencer led Whitworth will 11 kills and a .391 hitting percentage. Hudson finished with 10 kills and four block assists.
Whitworth had a 19-16 lead in the first set when the Poets used a 6-1 run to go ahead 22-20 and hold on to claim the opener. Whittier led 19-14 in the second before the Bucs got within 21-20 and 24-23, but could not get over the top.
The Pirates avoided a sweep by winning the third frame, scoring the final three points. Stephanie Leach served the set-winning ace. Whitworth appeared to take the momentum into the fourth set, going ahead 19-13 on a Hudson kill. But Whittier finished the match on a 12-4 run, getting the final two points on Pirate attack errors.
Rodriguez (19) and Thompson (15) combined for 34 assists.
