SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The 2016 volleyball season came to an end for Corban University on Friday morning in the NAIA Championship Round of 16, as the No. 23-ranked Warriors fell to No. 8-ranked Dordt College (Iowa) in four sets (25-22, 25-20, 21-25, 25-19). Corban finishes the campaign with 25 wins, the second-most in program history.
"What a great group of girls," said Corban head coach Kim McLain. "Starting the season ranked fifth in your league and making it to the sweet 16 was incredible! In today's match, Dordt had many weapons that were tough to defend. We are fighters and will continue to grow in the offseason! We look forward to bringing Corban back to Sioux City in 2017!"
For the Warriors, not only did they garner a berth in the NAIA Championships for the first time ever, but Corban finished with three wins in this year's NAIA Tournament, including two match wins at the NAIA Final Site.
With a quick turnaround after last night's come-from-behind win to clinch a spot in the final 16, the Warriors were on the court bright and early for the squad's first-ever match in bracket play. The Warriors fell behind early in the first stanza while trying to figure out Dordt's plan of attack, and ultimately Dordt claimed the three-point first-set triumph.
Set two was similar to set one for the Warriors, but then with their backs against the wall and the season on the line in set three, Corban claimed a four-point set victory to keep the match alive.
In set number four, there were many great defensive battles with both teams keeping rallies alive that looked to be done and over. Ultimately, Corban staved off multiple match points, but Dordt was eventually able to finish off the Warriors and claim the six-point set triumph, earning a berth in the final eight.
As a team, Dordt (26-7) hit for a .285 mark offensively with Haley Moss leading the way with 16 kills. Brooke Granstra registered a 15-kill performance for the triumphant side while Ema Altena totaled 10 kills and four service aces.
Corban finished the match hitting at a .214 clip overall with Alaina Gentili notching a team-high 20 kills on a .326 hitting mark. Marandah Boeder chipped in with 14 kills while hitting for a .458 clip, and Amber Parker registered a 15-kill performance to go along with 13 digs.
Along with Parker's 13 digs, Haley Wells notched a team-high 18 digs while Madison McLain and Lauren Condon each totaled 11 digs. Additionally, McLain dished out 54 assists in the defeat. At the net, Bethany Filipenko recorded a team-best four block assists while Parker totaled two solo blocks.
Corban returns all of its starters and the majority of its bench for the 2017 campaign, and with head coach Kim McLain leading the way, the Warriors are primed to continue to excel not only in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC), but at the national level as well.
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