HELENA, Mont. – The Corban University volleyball team showed just how improved of a squad it is over the course of one week, defeating Montana State University-Northern in Saturday's opener in four sets, before eventually falling to Carroll College later in the evening in a four-set match at the Big Sky Classic. The Warriors' win over MSU-Northern comes just one week after Corban lost to the same team in straight sets.
Match photos
Corban defeats Montana State University-Northern (25-14, 25-22, 18-25, 29-27)
Just one week removed from the three-set loss, Corban came out on fire against MSU-Northern, taking the lead in the first set at 7-6 and never looked back en route to the convincing nine-point set victory.
In the second stanza, MSU-Northern led much of the way, but Corban rallied behind some key kills from sophomore outside-hitter Amber Parker (Albany, Ore.) to come back and steal a 25-22 triumph in the second set to go up two sets to none.
In the third set, the Blue Hawks responded well with a win, but Corban knew it wanted to finish MSU-Northern off in four sets, so an exciting finish ensued.
Corban had two match points when leading 24-22 in that fourth stanza, but the Blue Hawks responded and tied the set at 24-24. The two sides traded points over the next several serves, but then as Corban led 28-27, sophomore libero Haley Wells (Albany, Ore.) made a diving save, sending the ball towards sophomore defensive-specialist Kasey Calderon (Murrieta, Calif.) who could only get a last-gasp foot to the ball, but that was enough. She was able to kick the ball up into the air and then freshman setter Madison McLain (Albany, Ore.) was able to hit the ball over the net and watched as it hit the ground for the match-winning point.
"The coaching staff and I are very proud of this Corban volleyball team," said head coach Kim McLain. "They really came to play this morning! The key to that win was that we kept our unforced errors down and played strong defense both at the net and in the back court!"
Parker led the way with 25 kills in the match, tying her season-high from yesterday, all while hitting at a .365 clip. Freshman outside-hitter Victoria Schroeder (Corvallis, Ore.) also brought Corban some offensive firepower, ripping 16 kills in the match, a new season-best for the rookie. McLain also notched a new season high, totaling 50 assists for the match, while Wells tied her season-best mark with 30 digs.
Carroll College defeats Corban (25-23, 25-27, 25-15, 25-19)
The Warriors came up against a very formidable Carroll team in the evening and final contest of the Big Sky Classic, as the Warriors fell in four sets. Corban actually led in the first stanza, 23-22, but three-straight points from the Fighting Saints gave the host school the set triumph.
The second stanza saw Corban trail 23-16, but showing resiliency, the Warriors fought all of the way back and scored seven-consecutive points to tie the contest at 23-23. The Navy and Gold then fought off two set points and rallied for three-straight points to close out the set with a 27-25 victory. The final two winning points came off of service aces from sophomore outside-hitter Shelby Miller (Lebanon, Ore.).
The Fighting Saints, which are receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches' Preseason Top-25 Poll, pulled away during the final two sets, however, winning the match in the process.
Parker and Schroeder contributed 33 kills between the two, while McLain racked up 38 assists and Wells totaled 21 digs in the defeat.
"Tonight was a very competitive game against Carroll," said McLain. "They are a very big team that is strong at the net. We had a hard time getting through their blocks. This game really showed us what we need to work on heading into our conference games next week."
Corban (2-4) returns to action on Friday, September 4, when it opens up Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) action on the road against Southern Oregon University in Ashland. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
