LA GRANDE, Ore. – Two of the best teams across the NAIA will meet tomorrow afternoon for a Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Championship title in Quinn Coliseum after the No. 5-ranked Corban University Women's Volleyball team cruised to a three-set sweep of No. 19-ranked Bushnell University in the conference tournament semifinal stage earlier this evening. 25-16, 25-23, and 25-17 set scores allowed the Warriors to avenge their five-set road loss to the Beacons in the regular season and knock their I-5 rivals out of the CCC tournament in a commanding neutral site sweep, representing the only match in La Grande to end in a three-set sweep thus far.
"I was proud that we set the tone early at the net being intentional and disciplined with our blocking," explained Corban head coach Kim McLain earlier this evening. "Knowing how quick and aggressive they can be, we made it a priority to serve tough and keep them out of system. Our passing was steady an allowed us to run our offense efficiently. I'm blessed to coach this group and proud of their continued growth. We're excited for the journey ahead."
A dominant offensive presence for the Warriors (24-4) resulted in the lopsided final score despite tonight's conference tournament matchup with the Beacons (20-12) being represented by a semifinal contest, as Corban was unstoppable at the net with a .337 kill percentage on the night while crushing 46 kills compared to just 29 for Bushnell. The Beacons were either tied or led in all three sets played, but lengthy Warrior scoring runs in the first and third sets eventually resulted in a Navy and Gold clean sweep within the confines of Quinn Coliseum.
A 12-8 lead for Bushnell in the second set was the best advantage of the day for the Beacons, yet a 8-0 run for the Dubs, which included three-straight service aces for junior outside hitter Emma Bischoff, halted any further progress the Warriors' travel partner could have made in an absolute "no doubt left" postseason result.
The single best contest of senior middle blocker Gracie Boeder's Corban career couldn't have come at a better time for McLain her program, as Boeder crushed 12 kills on just 13 attempts and no errors for a scalding .923 kill percentage. Defensively, Boeder added eight blocks at the net, including a solo stuff that could have easily been multiple if Bushnell hadn't been able to keep some of her blocks alive on their side of the netting.
Joining Boeder on the offensive attack was senior opposite hitter Makayla Roginski, who tacked on 11 kills on a .400 attacking percentage and five blocks of her own, with Bischoff seeing her five-match double-double streak coming to an end with ten kills and six digs, yet didn't have many opportunities due to the three-set sweep the Warrior attackers/blockers generated. Senior setter Abby Guindy dealt out a game-best 24 assists, while junior libero Kaile'a Ontai dug up a game-high nine digs in the backcourt.
The Beacons' final contest in La Grande this season saw outside hitter Hailey Heider and right side hitter Teagan Dixon each score off seven kills to lead their offense, while the Corban defense bottled up the First Team All-Conference selection in Heider with nine errors for a -.063 kill percentage one day removed from setting both Bushnell's single game and single season records for total kills. Setters Katie Belitz and Emma Fa'alogo split 24 assists, middle blocker Soleil Sands swatted five block assists, and libero Kailey Shirley hauled in a team-high eight digs.
Tomorrow afternoon, the No. 5 Warriors and No. 1-ranked Mountaineers of Eastern Oregon University (27-2) will meet for the third time this season in a must-see rubber match, with a CCC Tournament title on the line. First serve will be at 3pm and available to view for free on the Urban Edge Network (UEN) by clicking HERE, with live stats available HERE.
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