The Lewis-Clark State Lady Warriors showed why they are ranked 24th in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics on Tuesday, Oct. 27, sweeping the Missionaries in three games with scores of 25-20, 25-13 and 25-18. Despite the final score, the Whitman volleyball team showed signs of life in the early going, jumping out to a 7-1 lead. First-years Carrie Cecil and Courtney Brewer ignited an early Missionary run, combining for three kills in the first half of the first game. Sophomore Katie Miller kept things going with a service ace and senior Alex Graves combined with Brewer for a block.
Unfortunately for the Missionaries, their lead disappeared when Lewis-Clark State’s Lauryn Herrick took over the game from the service line. This run rattled the Whitman ladies, with errors and miscommunication following, adding to the Lewis-Clark lead. After a time out, the Missionaries came back ready to play. A combination of strong serving and hitting, as well as hustle and good digs by junior libero Kelsie Butts, helped the women climb back within the first game. Unfortunately, a few late errors cost the Missionaries.
After a competitive first game, both teams looked to be fairly evenly matched. However, Lewis-Clark came out roaring in the second game with a barrage of strong hits and serves. Additionally, their height advantage over the Whitman women aided their aggressive presence at the net. Scrappy play and good ball placement also helped Lewis-Clark build on their lead. Even as Brewer, Cecil, and fellow first-year Rachel Shober added kills to their stat line, the strong Lewis-Clark offense proved more than the Missionaries could handle.
Coming off a disappointing second game, the Whitman women nonetheless returned ready to fight back in the third game. With standout play by first-years Cecil, Hannah Holloran and Olivia Nielson, Whitman seemed to be off to a great start, but Lewis-Clark State had other plans and answered back. Both teams served and hit well, which led to some inspired rallies. The Lady Warriors’ ability to receive serves and respond with authoritative returns moved the Whitman defense around and forced the Missionaries to play out of position for most of the game. Some dubious officiating spiced up the game, but in the end, the powerful hitting of the Lady Warriors proved to be the deciding factor in the game.
