KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Seniors Rachel Gowen (Oregon City, Ore.) and Rashelle Davenport (Kalama, Wash.), along with sophomore Teri Braun (Dallas, Ore.), registered eight and six kills respectively in Corban's women's volleyball team's season-ending loss to Oregon Tech, 3-0 (16-25, 19-25, 17-25), Tuesday evening at Danny Miles Court.
After a three-year hiatus away from the postseason, Corban returned to the Cascade Collegiate Conference playoffs with hopes of extending its season and possibly securing the conference's automatic berth into next month's NAIA Championship Tournament.
Unfortunately, the Warriors ran into a tough Oregon Tech squad that had beaten Corban three nights earlier in the final home match of the regular season. Second-year head coach Heather Dunn guided the Warriors' to a second straight overall record of 12-14, which included a 10-10 mark in conference play and a sixth place finish in the final CCC regular season standings.
In the opening set, freshman Tiffany Land (Independence, Ore.) gave the visiting Warriors an early 2-0 lead via a kill and solo block. Oregon Tech then used a 20-10 run to take its largest lead (20-12) off Set #1, as the Hustlin' Owls got a run-closing service ace from Lizzie Law. Corban attempted to fight back, but the deficit was too much as Oregon Tech closed out the set by nine points (25-16) on a Mikalya Morgan kill.
In the second set, both teams battled over the opening 10 combined points as the score showed 5-5. Oregon Tech used a mini 2-0 run that was began via a Nicole Andrews kill and ended with a Warrior hitting error to jump start an 11-7 run that handed the host Owls a four-point lead (16-12). Corban would battle back to within a mere point (17-16) following a OIT hitting error, but the Owls would close out the set via an 8-3 run for the six-point win (25-19) that concluded with a Megan Christiansen kill.
In the third and final set, Oregon Tech jumped out to a quick 18-8 lead that was ended via an Andrews kill. Corban would use a 9-7 run over the next 16 combined points, but it was too little, too late as Oregon Tech ended the final set by eight points (25-17) and the match in a three-set sweep.
Along with the aforementioned trio's combined 20 kills, senior Chelsea Reeher (Powell Butte, Ore.) and Land added five and four kills respectively. Junior setter Amy Thompson (Oregon City, Ore.) and freshman Megan Dees (Tehachapi, Calif.) combined to hand out 23 assists, as Thompson registered a team-high 14. In the Warriors' back row, sophomore libero Rebecca Franke (Pendleton, Ore.) registered a team-high 12 digs to go along with Thompson's seven and Davenport's five. At the net, Land led the Warriors with three blocks to go along with Gowen's two and Reeher's two.
Oregon Tech was led by Krista Wooley and Anna Leal, who registered a match-high 12 kills each to go along with Andrews' 11-kill performance. Law handed out a match-high 42 assists for the Owls, while Krystie Vea recorded a match-high 18 kills in OIT's back row.
With the win, Oregon Tech will now advance to the CCC Tournament semifinals on Friday, November 14th, against Southern Oregon beginning at 4:00 p.m. in Caldwell, Idaho.
