COLLEGE PLACE, Wash. – In their final road contest of the 2025 regular season, the No. 5-ranked Corban University Women's Volleyball team bent but did not break under the pressure of yet another receiving-votes squad in Walla Walla University on the Wolves' Senior Night, as the Warriors snagged 25-16 and 25-20 first and second set score wins before Walla Walla forced them into a fourth with a 25-17 set victory of their own. Following numerous scoring runs/droughts for both teams, the Navy and Gold eventually gutted out a 25-21 fourth set score to claim the season sweep over a much-improved Walla Walla program.
"Walla Walla is a very crafty and dangerous team that is so aggressive at the service line and strong at the net," Warriors' head coach Kim McLain explained regarding their opponent tonight in the RV Wolves. "I'm proud of how our team battled with grit and that never-give-up mentality we always preach. We stayed composed through the momentum swings and trusted our gameplan. Coming out with a win on the road in this conference says a lot about our team's heart and determination! We look forward to wrapping up the regular season next weekend at home!"
With the hometown crowd packing the stands on Senior Night for the Wolves (12-9, 10-8), a dead-even tie through the first 21 points was eventually settled by the Warriors (21-4, 15-3) after scoring eight-straight points to force Walla Walla into a nine-point hole. Corban would eventually clinch the 25-17 opening set score and 25-20 again in the second after exchanging scoring runs with the Wolves late in the period.
Walla Walla regained composure in the third set during their home finale, as they contained the Warriors' offense to a kill percentage under .200 for the first time in a set this evening while pummeling 20 team kills out of their 25 total points scored, extending the match to a fourth set in the process.
After trading three-point runs apiece in the fourth set, with neither team willing to give way, back-to-back kills from junior outside hitter Emma Bischoff put the Navy and Gold back in the driver's seat, and when combined with the defensive efforts of senior middle blocker Gracie Boeder, resulted in a 5-1 run that extinguished the fire propelling the Wolves towards a potential reverse sweep upset.
A third-consecutive double-double effort from Bischoff powered the Warriors to their seventh-straight win, as she led the field with 14 kills and added 11 digs defensively. Senior opposite hitter Makayla Roginksi and Boeder each tallied seven kills apiece while combining with sophomore middle blocker Addison Mills for three-fourths of the team's total blocks for the contest (15-of-20). Boeder's solo block in the fourth set was the defining momentum that swung the energy on Windemuth Court permanently back to the Corban sideline.
Senior setter Abby Guindy and junior setter Nadeiah Howard dished out 23 and 21 assists, respectively, as the duo continues to command one of the NAIA's most lethal offenses with ease. Finally, junior libero Kaile'a Ontai secured 15 digs in the backcourt to lead all student-athletes in the statistical category.
Walla Walla outside hitter Sahara Browning smashed 14 kills to match Bischoff for the match-high kill count, while outside hitter Paula Flores and opposite hitter Natalia Jimenez added 13 and 12 kills, respectively. Flores added 11 digs for a double-double performance and setter Yaimaris Garcia secured a 31-assist, 13-dig double-double of her own.
With the traveling portion of the regular season now completed, the Warriors can solace in returning to their home court for their Senior Weekend ahead of postseason play that they have already clinched, as they'll first welcome RV Southern Oregon University (13-12, 10-8) to the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center on Friday, November 7th at 6pm as they look to stay undefeated on their home court in 2025.
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