SALEM, Ore. – The Corban University Women's Volleyball team took the role of the hunted, rather than the hunter, thus far in the 2022 season. Starting the year off as the No. 7 ranked team in the NAIA, the Warriors proved they were hungry for more, coming off a historic season in 2021. Corban continued their path to the top at an extremely high level once again, in a season that has so far included a top-three NAIA ranking and multiple individual records set during the 2022 season. Coming in at No. 4 in the final NAIA Top 25 Coaches' poll, the Navy and Gold looks to achieve another a deep run into the playoffs.
The Warriors possess a veteran and experienced playoff roster, all of whom are looking to surpass the all-time best finish of 2017, which ended in the Round of Eight at the NAIA Tournament Final Site. That journey will begin this Saturday inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center when the Navy and Gold are set to host the Benedictine University at Mesa (Ariz.) Redhawks (24-6) in the NAIA Opening Round at 5pm PST.
No. 4 ranked Corban initially earned its place in the NAIA Opening Round via the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Tournament second place finish this past Saturday in La Grande, following a five-set marathon loss to No.1 ranked Eastern Oregon University. They finished the 2022 regular season and CCC Tournament with an overall record of 28-4, solidifying a Top 5 National Seed in the NAIA National Tournament.
The Warriors are led offensively by quiet possibly the best trio in the NAIA, with the 2022 CCC Player of the Year and sophomore outside hitter Rylee Troutman, 2022 CCC Freshman of the Year and freshman opposite hitter Makayla Roginski, and 2022 First Team All-Conference/2021 CCC Player of the Year and senior outside hitter Avari Ridgway.
The three incredibly skilled student-athletes were relentless this season on opponents, logging over 1,000 kills this season between all of them. Troutman paced the conference in kills per set at 4.29 and ranks fourth in the nation in the category. Roginski proved to be extremely accurate attacker in her collegiate debut season with a hitting percentage of .340 in conference play, while Ridgway continued her MVP season from 2021 to rank third in the CCC in total kills and boast one of the most incredible careers in NAIA Women's Volleyball history.
Corban finished Top 10 in the nation in kills per set, hitting percentage and assists per set, making them an extremely dangerous competitor in the field this year for the team's Battle for the Red Banner this postseason.
Defensively for the Warriors, senior libero Kealani Ontai (Honorable Mention All-CCC) will anchor the defense one last time in her stellar career. Coming off a record setting season last year, Ontai added to her digs record with another 490 in 2022. Sophomore middle blocker Allyson Reid looks to continue her "return to sender" mentality at the net that she has most recently improved considerably in, especially after logging 14 solo blocks and 95 block assists on the season.
Second Team All-Conference senior setter Jadyn Mullen will look to continue her consistent facilitating of the potent Warriors' offense this Saturday and beyond. Mullen enters the opening round with 6.61 assists per set, with a total of 740 assists this year.
Meanwhile, Benedictine Mesa enters this weekend's competition with a 24-6 overall record, booking its NAIA Tournament bid via the Cal Pac Regular-Season Conference Championship that they secured by a single game over Westcliff, much like the Warriors and Mountaineers in the CCC.
The Redhawks boast a dynamic duo of offensive threats with freshman outside hitter Laylah Daniel and senior outside hitter Brianna Rivera attacking at the net. Rivera earned her third First Team All-Cal Pac honors in 2022. Rivera had 380 kills and a 3.49 kills per set mark on the season, while Daniel provided a strong tandem to Rivera with 365 kills and a 3.35 kills per set in 2022.
Senior libero Haley Rivera, the 2022 Cal-Pac Defensive Player of the Year, put up a conference-high 346 digs and a 4.87 digs per set to power her way to the All-Cal Pac performance. Her impressive 94.5% serve receive efficiency was a career-low for the senior. Rivera will provide a stout defensive presence for the Redhawks in a hostile offensive environment for her in Salem.
The winner of this weekend's battle will advance to the NAIA Final Site from November 30th to December 6th in Sioux City, Iowa, where the Top 24 teams in the nation will battle it out for NAIA supremacy.
Live stats/video will be available for Saturday's NAIA Opening Round match HERE.
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