SALEM, Ore. – The No. 3 Corban University Women's Volleyball team (24-2, 17-1) saw more of the same results they've become accustomed to seeing over the past month and a half, as the defense took to the spotlight today in the Warriors' three-set sweep of Oregon Tech (12-12, 9-9), with final set scores of 25-15, 25-22, and 25-17.
"The team came in focused and ready to play," Corban Head Coach Kim McLain said following the match this evening. "We were able to compete at a consistent level tonight. I was proud of how we played defense both at the net and in the backcourt."
Despite dropping the first overall point to the Owls, Corban jumped on a six-point run and ran away with a 12-4 advantage early in the first set, before Owls' head coach Ken Murczek decided he needed to regroup.
Oregon Tech jumped on a three-in-a-row point streak out of the timeout but wouldn't score more than back-to-back points the remainder of the opening set, as the Warriors saw their defense hold the Owls to a negative attacking percentage of -.079 thanks to four different blocking plays alone that featured five different Corban student-athletes.
Set number two ran extremely similar to the first, with Corban running away to a 24-16 advantage, but the Owls began to click in the clutch offensively to avoid seven-straight set points and force McLain into utilizing both of her timeouts. Warrior fans did not see a full collapse though, as sophomore outside hitter Rylee Troutman secured a kill right out of the second timeout to clinch the set.
Another six-point run by the Warriors to open their scoring in the third set put the Owls in a world of hurt, as consistent defensive pressure and more of the Cascade Collegiate Conference leading offensive team numbers pushed OIT to the brink, with another kill by Troutman sealing the three-set victory for Corban.
Corban's powerful offense continues to overwhelm opponents, as the Warriors held a 42-26 kill count over OIT tonight. In a pleasant twist, the defense was over the top as well for Corban, holding a 7-5 blocks count, 40-34 digs total, and a 5-3 service aces advantage over the pesky Owls.
Troutman once again provided the Warriors with the offense at the net and defense in the backcourt that has become second nature for those in the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center to witness, tallying 14 kills and 10 digs for the second straight night. Her double-digit kill count as been extended to 13 games in a row, and the 5'11 NAIA All-American continues to rack up the double-doubles with three-straight now and her eleventh on the season.
Senior outside hitter Avari Ridgway only attempted 12 attacks tonight, but three-fourths of them counted for kills to finish the night with nine kills and a .667 attacking percentage. Sophomore middle blocker Allyson Reid added six kills with a .364 kill rate, adding two assisted blocks and a solo stuff on the evening.
The power couple of senior setter Jadyn Mullen and freshman setter Abby Guindy continue to cause issues for opposing defenses, as the two combined for 38 assists, with Mullen nabbing the game-high at 22 dimes.
Oregon Tech's offense and defense was ran through outside hitter Nicole Reyes who earned a team-high eight kills and game-high 13 digs on the evening, but outside hitter Molly Grace was the most consistent at the net, logging six kills and only one error to keep the Owls' team attacking percentage above water.
The No. 3 Corban Women's Volleyball team will hit the road for the final time this 2022 regular season, as they head north to face the Eagles and Geoducks of Northwest University and The Evergreen State College, respectively. The Warriors will be in Kirkland, Wash. for a 7pm PDT start time next Friday, followed by a quick trip to Olympia the following night for a 5pm start.
Follow Corban Athletics:
Facebook l Twitter l Instagram l Snapchat l YouTube l Email
Download our App: iOS (iPhone/iPad) l Android
