Lightning struck at Whitman College on Friday, Sept. 19 — not from the sky, but from the volleyball court inside of Sherwood Athletic Center, where first-year Sammy Holmer’s kill sent the Whitman Blues (2-6) to a wild 3-2 win over the Willamette Bearcats (3-6) to open NWC play.
Entering Friday’s contest, the first home game of the season, Whitman sported an inauspicious 1-6 record and a five-game losing streak. The Blues have also historically struggled against Willamette, holding a 1-5 record against the Bearcats over the past three years. During the game, Willamette had success with its potent offense led by senior outside hitter Katey Cramer, who netted 23 kills against Whitman. But the Blues’ gutsy win showed a team with the potential for greatness.
Whitman ultimately overcame the tenacious Bearcats with a multifaceted offense spearheaded by three first-years. Outside hitter Addie Belt led the Blues with 16 kills, outside hitter and defensive specialist Sammy Holmer added 14 kills and had a team-high three aces and middle blocker Kendall Herman had a team-high four blocks. Sophomore setter Haylee Pruse also played a big part in the win, coordinating the Blues’ set plays, contributing 50 assists.
The Blues also flaunted a coordinated defense highlighted by senior outside hitter and defensive specialist Jamie Bartok, who made a slew of crucial digs during the game, as well as senior middle blocker and outside hitter Lilli Thompson, who blocked her fair share of the Bearcats’ offensive output.
Head Coach Matt Helm praised the team’s performance.
“The mixture of our strong leadership with our returners, as well as with the new first years coming in, is really refreshing,” Helm said. “At the same time, we have the composure and the poise which I think [was] shown in the first three sets.”
Despite losing a grueling, back-and-forth set two 31-33, Whitman fought back hard in the third set, winning 30-28 to push Willamette to the brink. Things didn’t look good for the Blues heading into the fifth and final set after losing set four 14-25, however.
Having traded sets leading into set five, it was do-or-die for both teams. Whitman quickly jumped out in front, but in a set in which either team could win with 15 points, nothing was guaranteed. On match point, leading 14-10, Holmer put the game away with an emphatic kill punctuated by a roar of celebration.
Holmer reflected on her game-sealing play as a culmination of her improvement over the course of the game.
“I started off a little rough … but once I got a couple kills, I could read their defense better, especially the blocks,” Holmer said.
For Holmer, the Blues’ focused and present mindset paid dividends in overcoming the deficits they faced against the Bearcats.
“As a team, we focus on one point at a time,” Holmer said. “And I think having that mentality helps us get out of those runs and allows us to come from behind even if we’re down 10.”
Thompson echoed this sentiment, explaining how one of the team’s core values, grit, played a role in their victory.
“One of the things we’ve really been working on this season is having that mental grit and playing for each other and having gratitude when we’re on the court, so in those moments of [uncertainty] … we know we have each other, and we’re swinging all out,” Thompson said. “I think having that confidence in ourselves really propelled us to [victory].”
It was the kind of lightning-strike performance that could spark the Blues’ momentum and give the team the confidence they need to push forward this season.
“The will, the resilience, the ability to never say never,” Helm said. “There’s a vibe that they want this year to be different.”
Whitman showed that they have the ability to fight through even the most difficult back-and-forth games. With plenty of season still left to go, this victory could be crucial in swinging momentum back in the favor of the Blues.
