Whittier, Calif. - Whittier's Casie Lowden put away 15 kills with only three attack errors (.400), in the Poets 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-22) victory over the Golden Eagles, in Whittier, on Tuesday evening. It was the season opener for the Poets who handed La Sierra their first loss of the young season, dropping their record to an even 1-1.

Whittier attacked the Golden Eagles with an efficient offense and relentless defense. The Poets finished the match with 38 kills, 10 attack errors, on 104 attempts, for a hitting percentage of .269. The won the defensive battle as well by collecting 53 digs and 14 block assists.

La Sierra notched 35 kills, 16 attack errors, on 118 attempts for a hitting percentage of .161. The team had 44 digs, led by Emily Morgan and Erin Miller who each contributed nine digs each. But the Golden Eagles were only able to muster two block assists on the night.

Caitlin Marinos (12) and Samantha Marquez (9) led the team in kills with each player adding six digs each. Setter Smirti Sharma led the offense with 27 assists and also added a team-high three service aces on the night. But as a team, the Golden Eagles struggled from the service line with 11 service errors overall. In comparison, Whittier finished even at the service line with six aces and an equal number of errors.

The volleyball team is out of action until Wednesday, September 9, when the Golden Eagles host the University of Redlands in their home opener. The home opening match is scheduled for a 7:30pm first serve.

NOTE: Official scores and statistics were not made available until this morning (September 2). Therefore, this game recap was delayed.