SALEM, Ore. – For the eighth-consecutive season, the No. 7-ranked Corban University Volleyball team has booked their tickets to the NAIA National Championship Final Site, clinching one of the twenty-four pool play positions with a three-set Opening Round sweep of Aquinas College (Mich.), taking the match with scores of 25-17, 25-18, and 25-23.
"I'm very proud of the team and how they worked this week to prepare for this first round of Nationals," Warriors' head coach Kim McLain stated. "They made a goal to get better each day, pushing each other to grow, focusing on the details of the game which paid off in tonight's match. We are excited to represent not only the CCC, but Corban University going forward at the national final site."
The seventh ranked program in the NAIA didn't disappoint in their Opening Round matchup with the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) runner-up Saints (31-9), as it wasn't until the third set before the Warriors (27-6) were finally tested to the point of pushing their limits to the max. After cruising to 25-17 and 25-18 set victories, the Navy and Gold allowed a 16-2 lead to evaporate into a 17-16 deficit after Aquinas scored five straight-points.
Corban battled back and exchanged the next five points, and despite taking a two-point lead, found themselves in a 23-23 draw, with each team desperately needing the next point to fall their way. Enter junior middle blocker Allyson Reid, who dealt the heaviest blow to the Saints' team with a roaring kill that sent the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center into bedlam. One play later, and the Warriors earned themselves their third-straight opening round sweep on their home floor.
Junior outside hitter Rylee Troutman crushed a game-high ten kills to help propel the Warriors back into the final site and added nine digs in the backcourt, as she was the only student-athlete with double-digit kills this evening. Freshman middle blocker Emma Bischoff secured nine kills herself on a .353 kill percentage, while redshirt sophomore middle blocker Jadah Schmidtke added three kills with no errors and a game-high four blocks assists.
The Warriors' setting duo of junior Courtney Garwood and sophomore Abby Guindy combined for 25 of the team's 31 assists, adding seven and six digs, respectively. Junior libero Marissa Uehara dug up eight balls and perfectly placed three service aces in Corban's efforts. Guindy and Troutman both added two aces from the line in an eight-ace night for the Navy and Gold.
Aquinas was led by middle hitter Samee Teachworth at the net, who garnered eight kills and added a team-high three block assists. Middle hitter Lauren Chioini and outside hitter Abbi Perkins each added six kills, while all-around setter Lydia Harper dealt out a game-high 23 assists and added seven digs. Libero Jordyn Carlyle tied Troutman for the best digs mark tonight with nine on her side of the net.
With one of twenty-four tickets punched to the national final site now locked up, the Warriors will spend the next week preparing for their pool play matchups, which will be announced tomorrow by the NAIA national office. More information will be made available at corbanwarriors.com once announced.
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