LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Volleyball Tournament, presented by U.S. Bank, will take place this weekend in La Grande, Ore. The No. 13-ranked Warriors will enter as the No. 2 seed, vying for their first CCC Tournament Championship since 2017.

Tournament Central

"We are honored and excited to be headed to the CCC Tournament," said head coach Kim McLain. "We look forward to competing for a national bid!"

The winner of the upcoming championships will earn the conference's second automatic berth to the NAIA Tournament. Should the CCC Tournament winner be Eastern Oregon, which already secured a national-tournament bid as the conference's Regular-Season Champion, then the berth would go to the tournament's runner-up. The Warriors (10-4, 10-4 CCC) are seeking their fifth-straight trip the NAIA Championships.

Corban's first challenge will come in the form of No. 3-seeded Oregon Tech, with the two squads going head-to-head at 4 p.m. on Friday evening in the CCC Tournament Semifinals.

The Warriors and (RV) Owls split their two-match season series, with both duels taking place on a neutral court in Lewiston, Idaho on March 6.

Oregon Tech won a five-set thriller in the first face-off, dealing Corban its first loss of the season at the time. The Navy and Gold responded in resounding fashion, however, cruising to a straight-set sweep in the second half of the doubleheader.

At the forefront of the Warriors' dangerous attack is Avari Ridgway, who ranks third in the CCC in kills with 160. The 2019 All-Conference honoree has once again been a keystone for Corban's offensive efforts in 2020-21, and she figures to play a significant role in the squad's success in postseason play, as well.

Ally Tow has been a welcome addition to the fray this spring, averaging 2.35 kills per set and ranking 12^th in the conference in hitting percentage (.227) in an impressive inaugural season as a Warrior. Fellow newcomer Rylee Troutman has had a sparkling rookie campaign, registering an attack percentage of .231 (11^th in the CCC) and averaging 2.46 kills per set entering this weekend's play.

In the second half of the season, Sarena Bartley (2.19 kills per set, .333 attack percentage) has stormed onto the scene and made her presence felt on both sides of the ball. The veteran brings valuable experience on the big stage to the squad, and her leadership, alongside 2019 NAIA All-American Cassie Cunningham's, should prove invaluable to the Navy and Gold.

Defensively, Cora Furman has turned in an exceptional campaign at the net for McLain and company, ranking fourth in the conference in both blocks (57) and blocks per set (1.1). Standout libero Kealani Ontai has been her usual self, ranking third in the CCC in digs per set with five.

Look for the Warriors' typical tandem of setters to be used during the postseason run, as both Jadyn Mullen (5.82 assists per set) and Ciarra Judson (5.10 assists per set) have proven themselves more than capable of facilitating the offense.

The Owls are led offensively by the CCC's leader in kills, Nicole Reyes. She has notched 198 putaways in the spring campaign, and ranks second in the conference in kills per set with 3.3. Kaylin Talonen (158 kills, 2.6 kills per set) is another offensive weapon employed by OIT head coach Ken Murczek.

Aubrey Kievit (4.20 digs per set) figures to headline the defensive efforts for the squad from Klamath Falls, and Faith Houck-Wylie (41 blocks) and Ireland Bennett (40 blocks) will look to disrupt Corban's attack.

Live video for the match will be available HERE.

CLICK HERE to follow along via live stats.

The winner of the match will advance to the CCC Tournament Championship—slated for Saturday at 4 p.m.—to battle the victor between top-seeded Eastern Oregon University and fourth-seeded Bushnell University. The No. 8-ranked Mountaineers have yet to be defeated in 2020-21, going 14-0 in conference play, and will look to defend their home court in this weekend's tournament.