In the season’s sequel of the Sixth Street Rivalry, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) women’s volleyball took down Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) 3-0 on Nov. 7, sweeping the Sagehens on the season and securing the No. 2 seed in the SCIAC tournament.
Before the match began, Roberts Gymnasium was already filled with emotion, as the Athenas gathered to honor their two graduating seniors: Shelby Mcllroy CM ’26 and Brooke McKee CM ’26. Whether or not it was the celebration of their two seniors that fueled the Athenas that night, their play was intense and gritty throughout.
Both teams started the first set eager to take the lead, and the score was close until CMS began to pull away midway through. The Athenas broke away at 15-10, the largest lead up until that point in the first set.
The Athenas kept this momentum going and won the first set 25-18.
Outside hitter McKee, who notched 13 kills and 11 digs, highlighted the heightened motivation that she and the Athenas felt leading up to the game, despite having already qualified for the SCIAC tournament.
“It’s always fun to beat P-P,” McKee said. “I think we’re always a little bit more on edge when it’s P-P, just because we want to win the Sixth Street Rivalry game. They were also really locked in on this game, so we had to fight hard to finish second [in conference].”
And fight hard they did, in large part thanks to McKee’s performance. Her 13 kills on 32 attempts brought her to 389 kills on the season, 11 shy of becoming the seventh player in CMS history to record 400 kills in one season.
McKee and the Athenas continued to deliver with high energy and execution in both the second and third sets, taking them 25-19 and 25-16, respectively, to win the match 3-0.
CMS head coach Kurt Vlasich emphasized the importance of his team’s levelheadedness in their victory against P-P.
“When you’re heading into the playoffs, you don’t want a bump in the road,” Vlasich said. “When there are some tiebreakers in the top half of the conference, [you] want to control the things that [you] can control, and not put [your] fate in somebody else’s hands.”
The Athenas will host the semifinal matchup in the SCIAC tournament after clinching the No. 2 seed.
For the Hens, Friday’s game was a reflection of a season that they would like to learn from and put behind them. This season marks the first time since 2021 that they have not qualified for the SCIAC tournament.
Despite their overall final record of 10-16, P-P head coach Valerie Townsend praised the improvements her team made throughout the season.
“The results aren’t for lack of trying,” Townsend said. “We’ve had moments of brilliance and moments of ‘what’s going on’ … but in the end, we just need to pull it off and be consistent about it.”
The Athenas have limited time left to play with McKee, their season leader in kills and service aces. With Friday being her last regular-season conference game, McKee expressed how the victory was bittersweet.
“I’m a little bit sad about it, but since our season’s not over, I think I can push through the sadness,” McKee said.
Despite her role as a leader on the team, McKee is confident in the Athenas’ young talent.
“We have a lot of younger girls on the team, and I think today’s victory is a great confidence booster for our team,” McKee said. “I am really proud of my teammates.”
On the Sagehens’ side, they ended the season honoring five seniors at their Senior Night against Cal Lutheran on Nov. 8. Townsend focused on what such a night meant for her senior players.
“They’ve all been big contributors,” Townsend said. “[Senior night] will be an emotional night for them. Not making it to the postseason for the first time is not ideal, but I know they will give it their all.”
The game against Cal Lutheran, which ended in a 1-3 loss, was the last time Paige Mountanos PO ’26, seasonal leader in kills; Tene Ariyo PO ’26, second in kills; Savanna Cespedes PO ’26, leader in assists; Natalie Potter PZ ’26, leader in blocks, and Hanna Chen PZ ‘26, defensive specialist, took the court for the Sagehens.
The CMS seniors, however, still have some important matches to play.
With the Sixth Street victory in the bag, the Athenas have shifted their focus to the postseason. They advanced to the final four of the SCIAC playoffs in each of the past four seasons, and won the tournament each of those years except in 2024, when they lost to La Verne in the final.
On Thursday, Nov. 13, the Athenas swept the Whittier College Poets in the first round of the playoffs. They will move forward to the SCIAC championships on Saturday, Nov. 15, where they will face a La Verne squad that has just one loss this season.
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