PORTLAND, Ore. –  The Corban University volleyball team traveled north to face off in an exhibition against NCAA Division I University of Portland on Friday, marking the first competition of the year for the Warriors. Despite each of the games being tightly contested from start to finish, the Pilots claimed the match in three sets (25-21, 25-19, 30-28).

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"What an opportunity to be back on the court after having to pause indoor activities in mid-November," said head coach Kim McLain. "I was very proud of the way the team held its own, battling through tough rallies! We have much to work on, and we look forward to the day we can get back to work."

The Warriors took on the Pilots despite being unable to practice inside a gymnasium—due to Marion County guidelines related to COVID-19—since November of 2020. University of Portland is exempt from local guidelines, however, and with extensive testing measures taken, the Warriors were afforded an opportunity to safely compete against the Pilots inside the Chiles Center.

Despite the lack of traditional preparation, the Warriors showed no signs of rust in the early stages of the contest, taking the first five points of the match to jump out to an early lead. The Pilots were able to battle back however, erasing the early deficit and narrowly edging the Navy and Gold (25-21) in a back-and-forth first set.

The second game was also tightly contested, as the lead changed hands multiple times up until the midway point of the set. At one point, the Navy and Gold led 10-7, but the hometown Pilots were able to rattle off five-consecutive points to vault in front, and would retain the advantage for the remainder of the game.

It was Portland that got off to a hot start in the third set, garnering an early 9-4 lead in its attempt to put the match away. The resilient Warriors responded with a pivotal eight-point run, however, shifting the momentum as the squad vied to force a fourth game. The two teams would battle their way to a 24-24 deadlock, eventually resulting in a 30-28 victory for the Pilots in a gritty finish.

Three members of the Portland rotation reached double-figure kills in the triumph, with Jiana Lawson (11), Jayde Harris (11), and Nevaeh Bray (10) headlining a balanced offensive effort. Bray was particularly impressive, finishing the contest with a .643 attacking clip.

Avari Ridgway, a 2019 First-Team All-Conference attacker, put on a vintage performance in the defeat, tallying a game-high 14 kills on an impressive .355 hitting percentage. Making her Warrior debut, rookie Rylee Troutman compiled seven putaways.

Setting the table for the Navy and Gold attack, Jadyn Mullen notched 17 assists. Meanwhile, star libero Kealani Ontai led the defensive efforts with a team-high 13 digs.

Despite the outcome, there was plenty to be encouraged by in the squad's first action of the 2020-21 season. Even without the luxury of preparation, the Warriors stood toe-to-toe with an NCAA Division I foe, demonstrating the squad's wealth of talent.

Currently, the Navy and Gold's next contest is tentatively slated for February 19 against Multnomah University, which would mark the beginning of Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) play.