BOX SCORE

SALEM, Ore. – In front of a crowd filled with Homecoming and Parent Weekend attendees, Corban's women's volleyball team fell to conference rival Concordia, 3-2 (25-20, 25-17, 21-25, 18-25, 13-15), Friday night inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center despite 17 kills from freshman Morgan Hirzel (Fullerton, Calif.).

With tonight's heart-wrenching outcome, Corban falls to 8-15 overall and 6-8 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play. On the other hand, Concordia improves to 13-7 overall and 10-3 in CCC action.

After building a two-set lead, the host Warriors could not overcome a Cavalier squad that registered 25 kills and hit almost .300 over the match's final three sets versus the home team's 14 kills and a hitting percentage that was less than .150.

In the opening set, both teams battled back and forth over the opening 22 combined points with Concordia's Erika Doremus knotting the score at 11-11 via a kill. Corban then used a 7-2 run en route to grabbing a five-point lead (18-13) following an attack error by Concordia. The visiting Cavaliers would creep back within one point (18-17) via a 4-0 run that ended with a combo block by McKenzie Rath and Mariana Toscano. The host Warriors would then increase their lead back to four points (24-20) after another CU attack error. The set would come to an end thanks to a combo block by sophomores Tiffany Land (Independence, Ore.) and Megan Dees (Tehachapi, Calif.), as Corban captured Set #1 by five points (25-20).

Set #2 would be a battle over the opening 26 combined points, as Dees knotted the frame at 13-13 following a service ace. Corban would then use an 8-3 run that resulted in a five-point lead (21-17) after a kill by freshman Chandra Baskoro (Gresham, Ore.). Following a Warrior hitting error and a Corban timeout, the home team would use a set-closing 4-0 run that ended with a Dees kill for the 25-17 victory heading into the 10-minute break.

Coming out of the break, Corban built an early six-point lead (10-4) thanks to a kill by junior Teri Braun (Dallas, Ore.). Unfortunately, Concordia used a 14-8 run that knotted the set at 18-all following a kill by Raluca Dinca. The visiting Cavaliers would close out Set #3 on a 7-3 run that was capped with another Dinca kill for the 25-21 victory.

The fourth set saw Corban grab an early lead (5-1) that the Warriors would not relinquish until the frame's 37th point when Concordia's forced Corban into a hitting error and grabbed a 19-18 lead. The visting Cavaliers would use a set-closing 10-0 run that started with the score 18-15 in favor of Corban and ended with back-to-back Dinca kills for the 25-18 victory, which forced the fifth and deciding set.

In the deciding set, Concordia jumped out to a three-point lead (8-5) before the mandatory switch of sides. Corban then used an 8-3 run that resulted in a two-point lead (13-11) following a Cavalier hitting error. A match that was full of runs by both teams would end with a closing 4-0 run by Concordia, as Dinca registered the match's final two kills en route to the visiting Cavaliers securing the come-from-behind victory, 15-13, in Set #5.

Hirzel led the Warriors' offensive attack with her double-digit kill total, while Baskoro and Land added 12 and 11 kills respectively. Dees and freshman Karisa Calderon (Murrieta, Calif.) combined for 51 assists, as Dees led Corban's attack with 29 assists. Defensively, the Warriors totaled 77 digs with junior libero Rebecca Franke (Pendleton, Ore.) registering a match-high tying 22 from her back row position. Baskoro (12 kills & 11 digs) and Dees (29 assists & 11 digs) both recorded double-doubles on the night, while freshman Jenny Harman (Salem, Ore.) served up a match-high six aces.

Concordia was led by Toscano's match-high 21 kills, while Dinca and a pair of Cavaliers – Rath & Doremus – added 14, 6, and 6 kills respectively. Skyler Kamaka ran CU's offense efficently with a match-high 43 assists, while libero Kim Lindow anchored the Cavaliers' defense with a match-high tying 22 digs. At the net, Clair Thiel recorded a match-high eight blocks (3 solo, 5 assist) as Concordia totaled 24 blocks as a team.

Corban will return to the court tomorrow night – Saturday, October 24th – against the Knights of Warner Pacific beginning at 7:00 p.m. inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.