PORTLAND, Ore. – The Corban University volleyball team wasted no time getting in the 'win' column in 2016, pulling off the upset victory against 2015 Frontier Conference Champion, Carroll College, on Friday afternoon. The Warriors used a superior hitting effort and all-around great defense en route to the four-set victory (25-22, 25-18, 22-25, 25-18) over the Fighting Saints.
Click the 'Play Button' on the website story photo above for video highlights from the match.
"The team came out very focused and was hungry for its first match," said Corban head coach Kim McLain. "Playing such a tough team as Carroll showed us things we need to work on this next week. I was proud of the team and their relentless effort to not let a ball drop."
In the first set, Corban was actually outhit by the Fighting Saints, but some stellar defensive plays in key moments pushed the Warriors to the three-point first-set win.
In the second stanza, Corban continued with the momentum built from the first set and won comfortably behind a .306 hitting mark. The Warriors also shut down Carroll in that set, as the Fighting Saints hit for just a .162 attacking percentage.
In the third with Corban trying to close out, the Warriors fell behind midway through the stanza and were ultimately unable to recover, falling by three points.
In the fourth and final set, Corban used some spectacular defensive plays and an astounding .533 hitting mark to finish off Carroll and complete the upset victory. Junior outside hitter Amber Parker led the way with 25 kills and a .391 hitting percentage, while sophomore setter Madison McLain totaled 50 assists in the victory.
On top of those two, it was an all-around great defensive effort by the Warriors, with junior libero Haley Wells leading the way with 18 digs, while Parker totaled 12 digs and freshman Lauren Condon chipped in 12 digs as well. Also pivotal in the victory was McLain's serve, as she totaled three serving aces on the afternoon. Additionally, junior Alaina Gentili provided a big help up front with 13 kills and five block assists.
After the match, Parker talked about the win in a post-game interview:
For the match, Corban hit for a .308 mark overall while holding Carroll (4-1) to a .265 hitting percentage.
The Warriors (1-0) return to the court tomorrow when they take on former Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) member, Concordia University, on the road. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
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