PASADENA, Calif. — The Caltech women's
volleyball team hosted Whittier College for a Thursday night matchup at Braun Gymnasium where the Beavers battled hard across every set.
Caltech started the contest by scoring the opening two points after forcing an attack error and finding a service ace from junior setter
Giulia Murgia (Iglesias, Italy / Istituto di Istruzione Superiore G. Asproni). After trading points early, Caltech found itself down 20-8, though the team posted a strong run scoring six of the next eight points
with kills from first-year middle blocker/outside hitter
Noelle Wilkinson (Bentonville, Ark. / Thaden School) and first-year outside hitters/opposites
Andrea Li (Calgary, Alb. / Sir Winston Churchill) and
Brittany Rosario (San Juan, PR / San Juan Math, Science, and Tech Center).
Going into the second set the two teams traded points early with neither squad able to create breathing room. The Poets created some separation going up 19-11 but the Beavers would score four of the next six
points with a kill from Rosario bringing the set score within five.
The teams went back and forth again including a kill from Li who finished with seven on the day and a team-best hitting percentage of .357. Whittier got to 24 points putting the action at set point, but Caltech persisted with a pair of points keeping the set alive.
In the third set, Li delivered two more kills while sophomore outside hitter
Alize Bakker (Portland, Ore. / Westview) had three in the set as part of her nine-kill day
to led the team along with her team-leading 14 digs. The Beavers challenged Whittier all match and delivered a valiant performance though it was not enough to overcome the Poets, who improve to 11-6 on the fall.
First-year setter
Lana Saopraseuth (Vancouver, Wash. / Union HS) led the squad in assists with 13 while Murgia recorded nine.
Head coach
Tom Gardner, assistant coach
Matt Delotto and the squad will have a quick turnaround
as they travel to take on Chapman University for a Saturday, Oct. 12 clash at 4:00 pm. Follow the action at
GoCaltech.com/coverage.
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