PORTLAND, Ore. – The Corban University volleyball team clinched a berth in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Tournament on Saturday afternoon in Portland, defeating Warner Pacific College in four sets (25-16, 21-25, 25-12, 25-21) to secure its spot. For the Warriors, it is the first time the team has qualified for the CCC Tournament since 2008.
"Determination, fight, and focus is what won this game today," said Corban head coach Kim McLain. "We have struggled on the road, so it was great to see how the team kept their energy and emotion even after dropping a set."
Corban stormed out to a nine-point set-one victory while hitting at a .485 clip before dropping set two by four points. After the break, the Warriors came back out firing, dominating in the third stanza to win by 13 points. Then, knowing that with one more set win it would clinch its berth in the CCC Tournament, the Warriors finished strong, securing a four-point set win. In that final stanza, Corban also hit for a .419 clip, bringing the Warriors to a .374 average for the match.
Warrior sophomore outside-hitter Amber Parker (Albany, Ore.), the NAIA leader in kills/set, once again showed why she may be the best attacker in the country, totaling 30 kills on just 53 total attempts for an astounding .491 attack percentage, a new career-best for her. On top of her efforts, freshman middle-blocker Kinley Hickok (Anchorage, Alaska) and sophomore middle-blocker Sloane Morrison (Edmonds, Wash.) both chipped in 10 kills apiece.
Corban freshman setter Madison McLain (Albany, Ore.) dished out a match-leading 57 assists, while sophomore libero Haley Wells (Albany, Ore.) led the Warrior defense with 17 digs.
Following the match, Parker, Wells, and McLain talked about the exciting win in a post-match interview:
Corban (13-11, 11-7 CCC) returns home for its final two regular-season contests next weekend when it hosts Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon on Friday and Saturday. If Corban wins at least one of those matches, it secures at least fifth place, with the possibility of moving up into fourth with some help.
Click here for a complete look at the CCC standings.
To follow next week's matches, follow the live stats and live video broadcast on Warrior TV.
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