KIRKLAND, Wash. – An 11-3 advantage in blocks tonight for the No. 8-ranked Corban University Volleyball team allowed the Warriors to prevent Northwest University from climbing back into their matchup after stealing the second set in extra points, as the Warriors completed a 25-14, 26-28, 25-22, and 25-13 four-set match result against the Eagles tonight in Washington.
"I was proud of the team tonight for preparing and staying within our game plan throughout the match," Warriors' head coach Kim McLain explained. "Our defense at the net, as well as in the backcourt, helped against Northwest's aggressive offense."
The high-flying Corban (13-2, 9-1) offense was unstoppable through the opening set, slashing a .455 kill percentage thanks to 17 kills and just two errors while holding the Eagles (7-11, 2-8) to successful kills on just .182 of their attacks. Six different Warriors recorded kills in the first set, which is credited to the work of the Navy and Gold setters and their distribution around the court tonight.
However, Northwest was able to take advantage of a handful of serve-receive and attacking errors throughout the second period to knot the match at 1-1, with the Warriors committing eight of their ten attacking errors unforced. The Eagles also benefitted from three Corban service errors while exposing the backcourt for three service aces of their own in a 28-26 set win.
The tides had effectively turned on the Navy and Gold as they struggled to keep up with NU through the third, with the Eagles eventually holding a 21-18 advantage following kill by outside hitter Kaitlyn Mickle. With their backs against the wall and the hometown crowd now on their feet, the Warriors took advantage of a service error by the Eagles and rattled off four more points to take a 23-21 lead, with two blocking plays by senior middle blocker Allyson Reid and junior opposite hitter Makayla Roginski. Both Reid and Roginski would take turns exchanging kills the remainder of the set to complete the comeback at 25-22.
With the momentum now clearly back in Corban's corner of the Kristi Brodin Pavilion, the Navy and Gold were able to cruise to a 16-9 lead, burning both of the Eagles' timeout before finishing the match on a 9-4 run and earning their third-straight victory. An ace from sophomore outside hitter Kendra Bittle sealed the win and sent the Warrior Nation fans in attendance back home with eighth-straight win over Northwest and remain undefeated in Kirkland.
Roginski tied her single-match high in kills with 17 tonight for the fourth-time in her Warrior career and third occasion just in 2024, with only two errors holding her back on an impressive .577 attacking clip. Bittle added 14 kills with six digs in the backcourt, while Reid smashed nine kills from the middle of the net and defensively swatted a match-high seven block assists.
Junior setter Abby Guindy commanded the Warriors' offense with a game-high 31 assists and pitched in eight digs defensively, with sophomore setter Nadeiah Howard adding 13 dimes during her rotations. Meanwhile, senior libero Marissa Uehara swooped in for the game-high dig count at 21 overall.
The Eagles were led offensively by Mickle and her nine kills, yet nine attacking errors due to the Corban frontcourt resulted in an even .000 attacking percentage for the evening. Middle hitter Azaria Johnson and opposite hitter Aubree Dees added eight kills apiece, setter Morgan Harter dealt out 27 assists, and libero Ellie Van Berkum secured 15 digs to represent the Northwest leaders.
The Warriors' trip through Washington continues tomorrow afternoon as they'll stop in Olympia for a 4pm bout with The Evergreen State College (3-11, 3-7) in the Constantino Recreation Center.
Follow Corban Athletics:
Facebook l Twitter l Instagram l YouTube l Email
