SALEM, Ore. – In a renewal of the Interstate-5 rivalry on Friday night, the No. 8 Corban University volleyball team outlasted (RV) Bushnell University in a thrilling Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Semifinal, presented by U.S. Bank. The Warriors claimed a nail-biting five-set victory (22-25, 25-18, 25-16, 22-25, 15-12) inside of the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.

With the win, Corban has booked its ticket to the CCC Tournament Championship tomorrow afternoon, and will face No. 12 Eastern Oregon at 3 p.m. Additionally, the Navy and Gold has matched its record for wins in a season since the turn of the century (27).

"We knew it would be a battle tonight," said head coach Kim McLain. "Bushnell is scrappy, and kept the pressure on! I was proud of our team and how they never gave up, showing their grit and fighting until the end."

The match was a back-and-forth affair from the first serve, as the Beacons forced the CCC Regular-Season Champion Warriors into just their sixth five-set contest of the 2021 campaign.

Bushnell then claimed seven of the deciding set's first-nine points, taking a commanding early five-point lead in an attempt to upset the Navy and Gold on its home court.

The resilient Warriors battled back, however, closing the match on a five-point run to complete the comeback and advance to the title bout.

Rylee Troutman registered a career-high 23 kills on a .353 attack percentage to pace the Warriors, turning in a career night when the squad needed it most.

CLICK HERE to watch Troutman's post-match interview.

Avari Ridgway was the only other Warrior to reach double-figure kills (11 kills), while Jadah Schmidtke (five kills, .333 attack percentage, six block assists) and Cora Furman (eight kills, one block solo, five blocks assists) filled up the stat sheet both offensively and defensively in the triumph.

Troutman also led the Warriors in digs with 20 (career high), joining Kealani Ontai (19 digs) as the top performers in the category. Captaining the offense, Jadyn Mullen (29 assists) and Ciarra Judson (22 assists) combined for 51 assists in the triumph.

CLICK HERE to watch the play of the match, which came when Mullen delivered an incredible save and kill in the fourth set.

Shay Coons (15 kills) and Camille Guerrero (12 kills) led the charge for the Beacons, while Makenna Northern racked up 40 assists as the setter. Bushnell currently sits just outside the NAIA Top-25 rankings, and will wait to see if it earns an at-large berth to the NAIA Championships next week.

Meanwhile, Corban (27-2) will look to sweep the CCC Championships tomorrow, taking on a squad that it has had numerous unforgettable battles with over the past few years. The Warriors and twelfth-ranked Mounties will compete for the CCC Tournament trophy tomorrow afternoon, with live stats/video for the match available HERE.