SALEM, Ore. – A three-set sweep on their home court and a little help from a Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) opponent allowed the No. 8-ranked Corban University Volleyball team to end the sixth weekend of conference play with sole possession of first place in the CCC standings, as 25-19, 25-18, and 25-11 set scores of Warner Pacific University clinched their second season sweep in as many days.
"Always great to get a CCC win!" exclaimed Corban head coach Kim McLain earlier tonight. "It was definitely a team effort. We look forward to getting back in the gym, working on getting better and continuing the journey this year together."
Scoring came at a premium this evening on Tim Hills Court, as both the Warriors (17-2, 13-1) and Knights (1-15, 1-13) struggled to find an offensive identity, yet the hometown team made the most of their defensive opportunities and at the service line to prevent the visitors from reaching the 20-point mark in any of the three sets played. The Corban defenders at the net held Warner Pac to a -.108 kill percentage on the day with just 14 total kills and 24 errors, while dealing 10 service aces to tie their season-best mark in a single match.
Corban and Warner Pacific exchanged runs through all three periods of play, with the Knights holding their home through a majority of the first and second sets, yet ran out of steam in the third as the Navy and Gold sprinted to the finish line with a 25-11 score to sweep the Knights for the second time this year and for the twelfth-straight matchup with WPU. Corban has now won twenty-consecutive contests against Warner Pac and holds the conference's longest active winning streak at seven games following the first weekend of second half matchups.
Defense was the key to victory for the Warriors a day after pummeling Multnomah at the net from an offensive standpoint, with senior libero Marissa Uehara paving the way via a game-high 15 digs in the backcourt. Uehara needed just eight digs to break the 1,000 career dig mark during her final year of play for Coach McLain, giving her 1,007 for her career midway through the 2024 season. Up at the net, redshirt junior middle blocker Jadah Schmidtke swatted three blocks assists and two solo stuffs to keep Warner Pacific at bay.
Sophomore outside hitter Emma Bischoff led both offenses with eight kills, followed by sophomore outside hitter Kendra Bittle and junior opposite hitter Gracie Boeder who tallied seven and six kills, respectively. Junior setter Abby Guindy dealt out another 15 assists in three sets played representing the game-high mark.
The middle of the Warner Pac offense saw their most consistent output this evening, as middle blockers Elizabeth Reid and Ellianna McMoore tacked on four kills apiece to represent over half of the Knights' total kills. Setter Amor Rapoza dished out six assists, while libero Brooklyn Starley and setter Daisci Burrows each secured ten digs.
One of the most difficult road trips in the west awaits the Warriors this upcoming weekend, as they'll make their first stop across the state in La Grande to battle No. 3-ranked Eastern Oregon University (19-2, 12-2) and attempt to avenge their lone loss in conference play thus far this season.
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