WHITTIER, Calif. – The Cal Lutheran women's volleyball team suffered its first SCIAC loss of the season Tuesday night, falling to Whittier 3-0 (27-25, 25-17, 25-16) in a battle between the conference's final two undefeated teams.
The Regals (10-7, 6-1 SCIAC) struggled to find their offensive rhythm against the Poets (8-6, 7-0 SCIAC), hitting a season-low .099 as a team with just 33 kills. Whittier hit .172 and used extended scoring runs in each set to take sole possession of first place in the SCIAC standings.
Emily Ford and
Reese Balagot provided a bright spot on the right side of the net, combining for 16 kills. Ford led the Regals with nine kills while hitting .308, and Balagot added seven at a .235 clip. Defensively,
Keegan Corley turned in another standout performance, recording a match-high 23 digs to keep Cal Lutheran in the fight.
Whittier jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the opening set before the Regals began chipping away at the deficit. Back-to-back kills brought Cal Lutheran within two at 8-6, but the Poets answered with another run to build a 15-8 advantage. The Regals refused to back down, stringing together kills from Ford,
Kennedy Smith and
Cienna Alvarez while capitalizing on Whittier errors to erase the deficit and tie the set at 15-all.
The teams continued trading momentum as neither could create lasting separation. Cal Lutheran fought off four set points, with kills from Alvarez and
Kaylee Clayton helping extend the frame, but a pair of errors proved costly as Whittier finally closed out the set 26-24.
The second set followed a similar script, with the Poets opening with three straight points before the Regals battled back to tie the score at 6-6. Whittier responded with six consecutive points to regain control, and Cal Lutheran was unable to overcome the deficit as the Poets claimed a 25-21 victory to move within a set of the match.
Whittier once again established an early advantage in the third, opening with four unanswered points. The Regals struggled to establish a consistent offensive rhythm as the Poets maintained control throughout the set. Whittier closed the match on a 7-1 run to secure the 25-14 win and remain unbeaten in conference play.
Despite the setback, Cal Lutheran remains one of the SCIAC's top contenders with plenty of conference action still ahead. The Regals will look to regroup quickly as they return home for a Thursday matchup against Azusa Pacific.
Cal Lutheran hosts the Cougars at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 15, at Gilbert Arena. The match will count toward the Regals' overall record but not the SCIAC standings as APU continues its transition from NCAA Division II to Division III.
