KIRKLAND, Wash. – A three-set sweep quickly got out of hand for the No. 6-ranked Corban University Volleyball team, as the Warriors squandered a third set lead that allowed the RV Eagles of Northwest University to ride the momentum into a fourth and eventually fifth set that finally fell Corban's direction. The Navy and Gold stormed out to 29-27 and 25-20 set decisions to start the match, promptly dropped set three 26-28 and set four 23-25, then dominated a 15-6 fifth set to improve to 17-1 in Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) play.
"With how well they've been playing this season, we knew it would be a battle tonight!" Corban head coach Kim McLain began with after their marathon set this evening. "NU has that 'never give up fight' which makes them a difficult team to plan for. I was proud of the team and how we adjusted throughout the match, and in-turn had that relentless pursuit defensively. Our blocking at the net in the fifth was exactly what we needed to make a difference and finish strong!"
The first set should have been an indication of the long night everyone at the Kristi Brodin Pavilion had in store for them on Saturday evening, as the Eagles (15-8, 12-6) staved off multiple set points to force extras before the Warriors (23-3, 17-1) finally found their footing and took a crucial first set at 29-27.
Momentum was a vital part of tonight's match for both squads in order to force five sets, with the Navy and Gold utilizing their own energy from a hard-fought first set to take one of only two deciding set scores of the evening, as the other three ended within the necessary two-point differential. Now leading 2-0 in set victories, the Warriors needed just one more to sweep the Eagles for the second time this season.
However, already managing one top ten upset on their home court left Northwest with nothing but motivation after falling down two sets to none and needing a reverse sweep to clinch another massive win in front of their home fans. Using this drive, the Eagles flipped a 22-18 deficit into a 25-24 lead, which would eventually fall in their favor five points later after holding Corban to one of few negative attacking percentages as a team for a given set this entire season.
The Eagles were able to win another down-to-the-wire set in the fourth with their offense going toe-to-toe with the most consistent offense in the CCC, as they matched 12-team kills with Corban but made the most of their opportunities to take a 25-23 set victory and force a winner-take-all set to end the weekend for both programs.
After trading points for the first seven rallies to open the set, the Navy and Gold found their stability in their front line at the net, forcing three-straight attacking errors, two of which via the block to force Northwest into a timeout before the sides would eventually swap at 8-5 in favor of the Warriors.
Following the brief stoppage, Corban would score the next six points with crucial performances from the young core, as freshman outside hitter Kendra Bittle and freshman middle blocker Emma Bischoff combined for four kills and a pair of blocks that made up a seven-point run by the Warriors, leading to their 15-6 final set win, and icing the once red-hot Eagles with ease.
Make it three-straight double-double performances now for junior outside hitter Rylee Troutman, as the defending CCC Player of the Year has been untouchable from an all-around standpoint with a 26-kill and 18-dig final tally tonight in Kirkland, with the Warriors' captain now sitting one kill shy of 400 on the year. She has crushed at least 15 kills in five-straight matches now and leads the rest of the conference in total kills and kills per set by a wide margin.
Sophomore setter Abby Guindy rebounded after a quiet night in Olympia with a double-double performance of 31 assists and 11 digs this evening, while freshman setter Nadeiah Howard added 22 dimes, four digs, and a service ace.
Defensively for the Warriors, junior libero Marissa Uehara scooped up 21 digs to tie her career-high mark and lead the team in the backcourt, with junior defensive specialist Graci Zanona adding 12 more digs and a pair of aces from the service line. Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Jadah Schmidtke was the team leader in blocking with six block assists while sophomore opposite hitter Makayla Roginski added three block assists and a solo block alongside her ten kills.
The Eagles found another double-double performance by setter Allie Flynn, who dealt out 21 assists and dug up 13 balls for her second-straight impressive performance. Northwest's offense was led by outside hitter Kaitlyn Mickle who snagged 18 kills on a .362 attacking clip, while fellow outside hitter Karste Wright trailed right behind her with ten kills. All-Conference libero Kelsey Moore held the game-high mark in digs with 29 tonight, while middle blocker Kalli Budge swatted seven block assists.
Perhaps the most important road trip of the 2023 regular season now sits between the Corban volleyball program and the final weekend of conference play, as the Warriors will travel east to Caldwell next week for a Friday evening match with The College of Idaho (15-11, 13-5) at 7pm MT, 6pm PT.
Follow Corban Athletics:
Facebook l Twitter l Instagram l Snapchat l YouTube l Email
Download our App: iOS (iPhone/iPad) l Android
