TAVARES, Fla. – The Corban University beach volleyball team concluded its inaugural season at this weekend's AVCA Small College Championships at Hickory Point Beach in Tavares, Fla. Matching up against some of the top programs in the NAIA, the first Warrior team landed in fourth place overall, while the second Navy and Gold squad finished in third place in the silver bracket (11^th overall).

RESULTS

"I can't say enough about how proud I am of this team," said head coach Diana Villalpando. "We played steady this tournament and came out in fourth, and that's all I could ask for as a first-year program. This also shows we have a very bright future of being competitive on a national level."

Corban's No. 1 squad—consisting of Samantha Fast/Michelle Rosas (No. 1), Melanie Miller/Lauren Condon (No. 2), Jolinn Daviscourt/Jacquelyn Clark (No. 3), Natalia Olabarrieta/Haley Paul (No. 4), and Nicole Bantilan/Kalisi Latu (No. 5)—was exceptional in pool play on Friday, winning each of their two duals by a 4-1 tally to clinch a spot in Saturday's gold bracket. The two victories were monumental, as they marked the program's first-ever dual triumphs.

The Warrior two, three, four, and five pairings all won each of their matches in the two victories.

Competing in a "to decision" contest against Ottawa University (Ariz.) on Saturday morning, the Warriors played for a spot in the AVCA Small-College National Championship, but fell in three straight-set matches against the Spirit, which went on to claim the title at the event.

Webber International University then narrowly edged Corban in the third-place dual, 3-2. Corban's top-two tandems claimed triumphs in the hard-fought battle, as Bantilan/Latu came from behind to beat Montana Pelak/Julia Ferraro in three games (15-21, 21-19, 15-11), and Daviscourt/Clark cruised past Emily Bowen/Veeva Lee (21-10, 21-15). But in the end, it wouldn't be enough in the consolation match, landing the Navy and Gold in fourth.

The second Warrior squad—comprised of Simona Lucchina/Harmony Hunter (No. 1), Briana Ayala/Kaitlin Hunter (No. 2), Tessa McFetridge/Tyra Ching (No. 3), Peyton Timmons/India Haliburton (No. 4), and Kiley O'Rourke/Marlee Jasso (No. 5)—stumbled in each of its two pool play duals on Friday, before dropping a nail-biter to Florida Memorial University in the first battle of the bronze bracket on Saturday.

Overall, the Warriors finish the 2021 season with a 2-9 dual record. With this weekend's results and a talented core of players set to return next spring, the future is bright for the Navy and Gold beach volleyball program.

"This weekend levels up expectations, and I think our girls are up for the challenge," Villalpando added. "In addition, the new recruits we are bringing in next year will help raise our level to compete for a national title. All in all, I'm so honored and lucky to be able to coach this team, and I'm thankful to Corban University for taking a chance on beach volleyball."