BOX SCORE

SPOKANE, Wash. – Corban's women's volleyball team closed out play at the first-ever Red Lion Cascade/Frontier Challenge with a three-set sweep of Montana Western, 3-0 (28-26, 25-23, 25-15), Saturday at the HUB Sports Center.

With today's victory, Corban improves to 1-4 overall to open its 2012 season. Meanwhile, Montana Western falls to 1-5 overall that included a 1-4 mark at this year's Red Lion Challenge.

Senior Chandra Teague led all Warriors with a team-high 11 kills, while sophomore Courtney Mulford and junior Olivia Shropshire added nine and eight kills, respectively. Sophomore Katherine Salness would control Corban's offense with a match-high 32 assists, while also adding a team-high 12 digs. Freshman Kiersten Hilt also helped the Warriors defensively with 11 digs, while junior Jenny Harman added six of Corban's season-high 22 blocks.

The opening set would see Corban build a seven-point lead (20-13) on a kill by Mulford before Montana Western used an 11-4 run to knot things at 24-all thanks to a combo block by Mariann Fretheim and Emily Erickson. Corban would earn a pair of set points thanks to kills by sophomore Claire Bailey and a combo block by Mulford and Teague, but Montana Western would get kills from Bailey Branson and Breanne Kelley each time to tie the score once again. With everything knotted at 26-26, Corban grabs its fourth set point thanks to a kill by Teague before Harman and Salness combined on a set-ending combo block for the hard-fought 28-26 victory.

Set #2 was once again a battle back-and-forth that would see Montana Western earn a five-point lead (18-13) on a Bailey kill only to have Corban fight back thanks to a 5-0 run that ended with another Teague kill that tied the set at 18-18. The two teams would each collect another two points until the score was knotted at 21-21 on a kill by Montana Western's Erickson. Corban would score three straight points thanks to a kill by freshman Kendra Staymates, a combo block by Staymates and Shropshire, and a Montana Western attack error that handed the Warriors their first set point. Montana Western would battle back to within a single point (24-23) before Shropshire ended the second set with a kill for the 25-23 victory.

The third and final set would see both teams battle toe and nail over the opening 16 points, as the score was tied at 8-8 following another Erickson kill for Montana Western. Corban would then use a 9-4 run to secure a seven-point advantage (19-12) on a Teague kill. The Warriors' lead would be too much for Montana Western to overcome, as Corban closed the match on a 6-3 run that ended with a match-clinching combo block by Salness and Harman for the 25-15 win and a three-set sweep.

Montana Western was led offensively by Branson with a match-high 14 kills, while Erickson and Kelley added eight and six kills, respectively. Paige Latimer would control the Bulldogs offense with a team-high 21 assists, while Shelby Mack anchored Montana Western's defense with a match-high 17 digs.

Corban will return to the court on Wednesday, August 29th, against NCCAA member and first-year program New Hope Christian College beginning at 7:00 p.m. in Eugene.