ASHLAND, Ore. – While day one was filled with sweeps and the occasional complete roster substitutions, day two was riddled with frustrating mistakes and learning opportunities for the No. 2-ranked Corban University Volleyball team, as the Warriors secured an early afternoon four-set victory over RV Vanguard University (2-1, 0-0) by final set scores of 25-21, 25-21, 24-26, and 25-20 before dropping a five-set marathon to Menlo College (2-2, 0-0) to conclude their trip in Ashland, 23-25, 25-23, 25-21, 21-25, and 15-13.
"This weekend we learned a lot about who we are as a team, growing each day, finding ways to battle and improve," Corban head coach Kim McLain shared. "Today's loss was a tough one but with that we are finding ways to fight and play together. We look forward to getting back on the court!"
GAME 1 – Corban 3, Vanguard 1
A four-point streak to start the contest for Corban was quickly eliminated over the middle half of the set, as the Lions propelled themselves to a 10-2 run to take an 18-17 lead. The first block of the game for the Warriors, courtesy of junior outside hitter Ainslie Ridgway and freshman middle blocker Emma Bischoff, provided them with a slight edge that they were able to ride to a 25-21 first set victory.
The Navy and Gold wouldn't allow Vanguard to score multiple points consecutively until the 13-6 mark in the second set, but the Lions would rally off three-straight to cut the lead from 16-10 to 16-13 and force Coach McLain into calling timeout. However, back-to-back blocking plays for the Warriors would flip the momentum and force Vanguard into a timeout situation, as the Lions now trailed 19-15. Another slight run from Corban is all they needed to clinch their second-consecutive 25-21 set score and sit just one set away from their third-straight sweep to open the 2023 season.
The perfect set streak for Corban was in jeopardy immediately to start the third set, as Vanguard took control from the first point and rode multiple rallies to a 17-10 lead, with Coach McLain having to utilize both of her timeouts in that span. Despite an incredible comeback to take a 22-21 lead, the Warriors would end up dropping their first set of the year 26-24 to the receiving-votes Lions.
Vanguard carried the momentum from the third set into set number four early, but a seven-straight point run by Corban resulted in a Lion timeout and a 14-10 advantage. Back-and-forth these two Top 25 teams battled throughout the fourth set, but the Warriors were able to finally shake the metaphorical monkey off their backs to edge out a 25-20 set win and take the match.
Troutman's first double-double of the season powered Corban to victory in the first match of today's doubleheader, as she tallied a team-high 13 kills alongside 12 digs. Sophomore opposite hitter Makayla Roginski followed closely behind with 12 kills and 3.5 blocks, while sophomore setter Abby Guindy dealt out a team-high 24 assists and secured the second double-double on the team with 13 digs.
Two more Warriors tallied double-digit dig counts in the backcourt alongside Troutman and Guindy, junior libero Marissa Uehara and defensive specialist Graci Zanona, who recorded 17 and 13 digs, respectively. Freshman middle blocker Emma Bischoff had a career day at the net defensively, as she was responsible for nine assisted blocks and a solo stuff to lead the team in blocking plays.
Lions' outside hitter Morgan Cole recorded the only other double-double of the afternoon with a game-high 15-kill and 19-dig performance. Vanguard's dual-setter offense was led by Rachel Lim and Madeline DeLucia's 24 and 19 assists, while their backcourt was dominated by a game-high 21 digs from libero Natalie Escher.
GAME 2 – Menlo 3, Corban 2
Troutman picked up right where she left off in game one through the first ten points of their bout with Menlo, smashing three kills before the Oakes needed to call timeout when trailing 8-2. That timeout proved to be extremely beneficial for Menlo, as the Oakes would go on to shock the Warriors in a 25-23 first set victory to put Corban in a set hole for the first time this season.
The Oakes clearly came to play against the No. 2-ranked team in the NAIA, as they held the lead for a majority of the second set, with the Warriors barely able to keep up on the scoreboard. However, a late run from Corban allowed them to eke out a 25-23 set win of their own and even the playing field at a set apiece.
Another gritty battle separated these two squads throughout the third set, but the Navy and Gold were able to keep their energy high from the second set and take the set lead for the first time in this contest, edging out a 25-21 win in the third set and needing just one more to reverse their fate and advance to 4-0 on the season. Troutman was already well into her second-straight double-double with double-digit kills and digs through three sets played.
Despite Corban's best efforts to hold this contest to a four-set victory, credit is due to the Menlo team that forced a set five after trailing by as many as five points in the first set, ending the fourth on a run that would provide the Warriors with their first full-length game of the season.
Just like the four sets prior, the fifth and final set was nothing short of dramatic, as the unranked Oakes closed out their incredible come-from-behind victory to hand the No. 2-ranked Warriors their first loss of the season and pull off the upset of the Raider Invitational.
Troutman continued her dominance at the net and in the backcourt, but an 18-kill and 20-dig performance wasn't enough to overcome the Oakes' consistency. Guindy and freshman setter Nadeiah Howard combined for 44 assists while Bischoff rallied off three service aces.
Defensively for the Warriors, Uehara dug out 21 digs alongside Bischoff and Reid returning four block assists and a solo block apiece. In the end, too many Warrior errors resulted in an unprecedented loss to end their stint in southern Oregon.
Credit is due to Oakes' outside hitter Jazmyn Tubbs, who recorded a career day offensively with 22 kills on a .320 kill percentage. Fellow outside hitter Gabrielle MacKenzie was the only other Menlo player with double-digit kills with 14 on the day, while setters Beatrice Manzon and Paige Harmann secured 34 and 24 dimes, respectively.
Libero Amey Rainaud-Hinds was the mainstay in the Oakes' backcourt, gobbling up a game-high 44 digs with not a single teammate hauling in more than nine on an individual basis.
The No. 2-ranked Warriors will return home to battle local Willamette Valley rival and NCAA DII school Western Oregon University next Tuesday at 5pm PT. Since the match will count as a scrimmage for both teams, the next counting contest for Corban will be next Friday and Saturday in Fremont, Nebraska, where they will take on three NAIA Top 10 teams at the Midland Showdown.
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