REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Volleyball team led in each set Friday night, but couldn't pull out the victory inside Currier Gym as they fell 25-23, 25-21, 25-23 to Whittier College.
Despite hitting a solid .286 in the second set and seeing Saudya Reagor (Banning, CA) record 11 kills on 28 attempts (.286) the Maroon and Grey were unable to extend the match dropping their eighth straight.
Head Coach Lisa Lindberg mixed up her rotation on the evening throughout and it worked out well playing Reagor more in the backrow in order to get her more attempts, splitting setting duties with Bella Thornbury (Grass valley, CA) and Shelby Dawson (Fontana, CA) and getting Hannah Miller (Round Rock, TX) quality minutes in the final set as an outside hitter.
It was a back and forth start to the opening set until the 7-6 mark when the Bulldogs put together an 8-1 run, which included five kills, four of which came all in a row from Natalie Starlin (Las Vegas, NV), Reagor, and Thornbury. But the Poets were able to answer with their own 8-1 run that put them back on top by one at 16-15. Trailing 20-17, UR put together another push this time with five unanswered behind a strong serving effort from Starlin. This put the Maroon and Grey on top 22-20, but they couldn't close it out seeing WC rattle off five of the next six points to go in front.
The Bulldogs jumped out in front in the second period 5-3 with Reagor and Dawson collecting tallies. But again the Poets strung together a run this time behind a serving spark by Jordan Duyan-Heard who helped give WC a 12-5 lead. A 7-3 run soon after for UR cut the deficit to three at 15-12 and they stayed within striking distance the rest of the frame getting with two on seven different occasions down the stretch. They were able to claw their way back from trailing by seven to getting within two at 23-21, but couldn't get any closer as back to back kills from Franki Piloto and Kaitlin Bullock would give Whittier a 2-0 advantage.
Paige Davidson (Spanaway, WA), Reagor, and Thornbury led the Bulldog attack in the third with four kills that put UR on top 9-6. They held a slight advantage after that with Davidson coming up big with another two strikes that moved the score to 14-13, but again WC was able to weather the storm stringing together five straight that put them on top 18-14. Redlands continued to fight staying within two before tying things up at 23-23 after a Kiki Stradford (Lake Forest, CA) kill and a Thorbury ace. This momentum wouldn't hold however as Popoff would collect the final two kills to secure the sweep for the Purple & Gold.
Reagor finished with 11 kills, eight assists and three block assists. Stradford added seven kills on 15 attempts hitting .333 along with three block assists, Davidson recorded six kills and 11 digs, Thornbury had 24 assists, two aces, five digs and four kills, and Laural Pittman (Granada Hills, CA) tallied 22 digs and four assists in the backrow.
Redlands (2-11, 0-7 SCIAC) needs to put tonight's loss behind them as they return to the court tomorrow, Saturday, October 9 when they travel to take on the University of La Verne beginning at 6:00pm.