CALDWELL, IDAHO – Nothing is given, and all is earned in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) when it comes to women's indoor volleyball, as that interpretation was on full display this afternoon in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center when the No. 9-ranked Corban University Volleyball team suffered their first back-to-back losses in sweeping fashion since the beginning of the 2018 season, which was also to a pair of nationally ranked opponents. The deepest conference in the NAIA handed the Warriors a fourth loss on the season, this time at the hands of No. 22-ranked College of Idaho following 28-26, 25-16, and 25-13 set scores to snap a seven-game winning streak against the Yotes.
"C of I came to play and simply out played us," Warriors' head coach Kim McLain explained following her program's second-straight loss. "We were hesitant to make moves both at the net and in the backcourt that we usually make. We served and passed well but couldn't find ways to score. We look forward to getting back in the gym and working to prepare for our upcoming matchups."
After failing to take a set last night on the road against No. 4-ranked Eastern Oregon University, the Warriors' (17-4, 13-3) cold streak carried into their matchup this afternoon with the Yotes (13-10, 9-6) by falling behind 15-7 in the opening set. The lone flash of fight the Navy and Gold had tonight occurred when they battled back to force extra points and utilized a replay challenge to flip a set loss into a 25-all score and eventually had set point at 26-25, yet three-straight points from C of I dashed the Corban dreams of a comeback set victory and set the table for the remainder of the afternoon across the state border.
The Warriors' offense was once again locked up by opposing defenders throughout the second and third set, where the team attacked at a .000 and -.083 kill percentage with a handful of unforced errors and provided the Yotes' blockers with plenty of opportunities. For the second-consecutive night, the Navy and Gold served and received better than their opponent yet hesitating both offensively and defensively made their service aces and lack of receptions errors a moot point.
Junior opposite hitter Makayla Roginski led the Warriors with 11 kills at the net and added three block assists, while senior middle blocker Allyson Reid was the defensive threat with six block plays. 17 more assists for junior setter Abby Guindy's resume highlighted the offense today, along with 11 digs credited to senior libero Marissa Uehara.
The Yotes' offense was nearly unstoppable in their second NAIA top ten upset over the past week, with three different attackers securing at least ten kills apiece via a teamwide .298 kill percentage over three sets. Outside hitter Mia Hutchinson slashed a 13-kill, .357 attacking percentage stat line against the Warriors, while middle blocker Alexa Wheeler was the hot hand thanks to an 11-kill outing with just a single error.
Setter Savannah Hutchins dealt out a game-high 24 dimes with seven digs, while outside hitter Haley McUne took a backseat offensively to lead both programs in digs with 14 on her home court today. Both Hutchinson and middle blocker Abby Draghici tied Reid for the game-high mark in blocks with six apiece.
The CCC grind continues over the next two weekends on the Warriors' home court, beginning with Oregon Tech (14-10, 7-9) on Friday, October 25th at 7pm.
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