BOX SCORE

SALEM, Ore. – The tandem of junior Claire Bailey and senior Olivia Shropshire provided a combined 21 kills, as Corban's women's volleyball team swept the visiting Knights of Warner Pacific, 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-22), Friday inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center and took one step closer to qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2005.

Corban (5-15, 2-8 CCC) got a match-high 11 kills from Bailey and a double-double from Shropshire with 10 kills and 17 digs, while junior libero Katherine Salness anchored the Warriors' defense with a match-high 21 digs. Junior Miah Smith and senior Jenny Harman provided nine and five kills, respectively, while the freshman setting duo of Payton Wilcox and Haley Meili handed out a combined 31 assists. At the net, Harman registered a match-high five blocks to go along with a match-high two service aces by sophomore Kelsey Wright.

Warner Pacific (4-16, 1-9 CCC) was led offensively by Julia Toscano with nine kills, while Kristina Naff and Brittany Bevens added seven and six kills, respectively. Marchelle Bostic handed out a match-high 30 assists for the Knights, while Brandy Velasquez provided the defense with a team-high 16 digs for Warner Pacific.

The opening set would begin with Corban building a slim two-point lead (5-3) on back-to-back kills by Harman before Warner Pacific used a 10-8 run to tie things at 13-all. Over the next six combined points, Corban would use a 5-1 run to pull ahead by four points (18-14) on a kill by Wilcox that forced a timeout by the Knights. Following the break in action, Warner Pacific would use a 5-4 run to get within three points (22-19) and that would be as close as the Knights would get thanks to a set-closing 3-0 run by Corban that concluded with a combo block by Harman and Bailey for the 25-19 victory.

Set #2 would see Corban build a three-point lead (6-3) on a kill by Smith before Warner Pacific used a 7-4 run to even things at 10-10. A quick 3-0 run by the host Warriors would put Corban ahead 13-10, which forced Warner Pacific to call its first timeout. Despite the break in play, Corban would never relinquish its lead with the Warriors pushing the advantage to as much as seven points in the end (25-18) resulting in a two-set lead at the 10-minute break.

In the third and final set, Warner Pacific made a run at forcing extra play when the Knights opened up a four-point lead (16-12) on a kill by Nicole Lisoski. After a kill by Smith, Corban jumped onto the serving arm of senior Brittany Sweet. The fourth-year Warrior would serve the next seven unanswered points to give the Warriors a four-point lead (20-16) following an 8-0 run that concluded with back-to-back kills by Shropshire. Warner Pacific would fight back using a 6-2 run that evened things at 22-22 on a kill by Toscano. That would be as close as Corban allowed the Knights to get, as the Warriors closed things out with a match-ending 3-0 run that concluded with a combo block by freshman Madison Purnell and Bailey for the 25-22 victory and three-set sweep.

On the night, Corban hit .192 (41-17-125) versus Warner Pacific's .095 (33-21-126). Throughout the three sets, the host Warriors never dropped into negative hitting numbers with Warner Pacific dipping into more errors than kills during the second set.

Corban returns to action tomorrow night – Saturday, October 12th – against the NAIA's No. 21-ranked Concordia beginning at 7:00 p.m. inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center in Salem.