SALEM, Ore. – With all five of their seniors playing in one final regular season home dual for the No. 2-ranked Corban University Beach Volleyball team, the Warriors cruised to a clean 5-0 sweep over I-5 rival Bushnell University and did so in style, winning every set played on their home sand to also clinch a perfect 15-0 record in Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) play to set an incredibly high standard moving forward within the Pacific Northwest-based league. In addition to their undefeated CCC record, the Navy and Gold are riding a 16-match winning streak dating back to the last weekend of February, as they went the entire month of March without suffering a loss and dropped only eight pairs across their 15-dual conference slate.
"We've wrapped up our regular season conference play and it was a good performance by all our pairs today," Corban head coach Dan Stephens shared regarding his team's performance today. "We had great energy for Senior Day, and both the team and us coaches are proud of what we've accomplished so far this season. We will continue preparing for the conference tournament in a little over a week that we get to host on our home courts."
Before the start of today's dual, the Corban beach volleyball program recognized five senior student-athletes who would be playing in their final regular season home dual as a Warrior, which included Megan Dennis, Danae Stokes, Jessica McMillian, Sydney Sanford, and Angela Stover. Dennis, McMillian, and Sanford all spent their entire collegiate careers with the program, while Stover and Stokes both transferred to Corban in the summers of 2022 and 2023, respectively, and have all competed in pairs ranging from the top overall duo to the exhibition matchup for the Navy and Gold.
The senior class powered the Warriors (17-1, 15-0) to a dominant performance over the Beacons (3-13, 3-12) this afternoon in the state capital, with Stokes and her redshirt freshman partner Kaile'a Ontai playing to 21-14 and 21-6 set scores over Bushnell's Makenna Mosher and Jadeya Hayes.
In the exhibition sixth pair, Sanford and Stover paired up one final time and cruised to 21-11 and 21-6 results over Beacons' Hannah Brunston and Reagan Walker, followed by Dennis and sophomore Emma Bischoff's commanding 21-9 and 21-11 scores in the top pairing over Olivia Kelzenberg and Jazmyn Wilcox. Finally, McMillian and junior Emmi Marks' 21-14 and 21-11 scores over Anessa Stotts and Haley Engelbrecht in the threes clinched the 5-0 sweep and in tandem, a 3-0 season sweep over Bushnell to wrap up their regular season representing the top squad in the CCC.
No. 2 Corban 5, Bushnell 0
1. Megan Dennis/Emma Bischoff (CRB) def. Olivia Kelzenberg/Jazmyn Wilcox (BU) 21-9, 21-11
2. Kaile'a Ontai/Danae Stokes (CRB) def. Makenna Mosher/Jadeya Hayes (BU) 21-14, 21-6
3. Emmi Marks/Jessica McMillian (CRB) def. Anessa Stotts/Haley Engelbrecht (BU) 21-14, 21-11
4. Alexis Adebodun/Gabi Engels (CRB) def. Sydney Myhre/Laci Jespersen (BU) 21-13, 21-6
5. Erin Scott/Payton Bazant (CRB) def. Monet Panther/Avery Lenssen (BU) 21-7, 21-5
Ext. Sydney Sanford/Angela Stover (CRB) def. Hannah Brunston/Reagan Walker (BU) 21-11, 21-6
Order of Finish: 2,4,6,1,5,3
The Warriors will host a friendly scrimmage on Thursday, April 3rd against Linn-Benton Community College at 3pm representing one final tune-up with postseason play looming next week on Corban's home courts. The inaugural CCC Tournament will take begin on Thursday, April 10th and run through the end of the 11th, with the 12th reserved as an "if-necessary" day.
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