SALEM, Ore. – In a battle between nationally ranked Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) contenders, the No. 6 Corban University women's volleyball team (20-6, 13-4) outlasted No. 22 Lewis-Clark State College (18-5, 12-5) in a five-set thriller Friday evening inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center, 3-2 (25-22, 25-20, 11-25, 18-25, 15-12). After seeing a two-set advantage disappear against No. 8 The College of Idaho less than two weeks earlier, the Warriors refused to let history repeat itself, overcoming a Lewis-Clark State comeback attempt behind the leadership of senior outside hitter Emma Bischoff and a balanced team effort to improve to 20-6 overall and 13-4 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play.
When asked about tonight's performance and the result of Friday's match, head coach Kim McLain said, "We came out strong in the first two sets, passing and serving well, which allowed us to control the tempo of the match. LC State has several talented attackers, and we knew it was important to keep them out of system. In the third and fourth sets, we struggled with our serving, which allowed them to become more aggressive at the net. I was proud of how our team responded in the fifth set. We regrouped, refocused, and found a way to finish strong. It was a hard-fought team win, and I'm proud of the fight and resilience this group continues to show."
Corban came out ready to play in the opening set and benefited from timely offensive surges and strong serving to claim the first with a score of 25-22. Bischoff, freshman outside hitter Geta Van Gemert, and senior outside/opposite hitter Kendra Bittle provided early offensive production, while junior libero Dani Street lit up the crowd with two clutch time aces during a crucial late stretch. With the score all tied up at 16-16, Corban closed the frame on a 9-6 run, highlighted by kills from Bischoff, Van Gemert, and Bittle.
The Warriors continued their momentum in set two, earning a 25-20 win to take a commanding 2-0 match lead. Corban overcame 13 attack errors in the set by capitalizing on a few Lewis-Clark State miscues and upholding steady defensive pressure and overall net presence. Senior setter Nadeiah Howard and redshirt freshman setter Braeleigh MacAskill effectively distributed the offense, helping the Warriors find the finishing touch they desperately needed. Yet again, it was late kills from the dynamic duo of Bischoff and Van Gemert that helped the Warriors secure the five-point win and move within one set of victory.
Lewis-Clark State turned the momentum in the third set with a dominant performance. The visitors raced out to an 8-2 lead behind consecutive service aces from Kadence Moore and continued to build that advantage throughout the set. Despite attempted responses from the Warriors, Corban could not overcome the early deficit, falling 25-11.
The fourth set began as a back-and-forth effort from both sides before LC State took control midway through, which ultimately propelled them to victory. Corban briefly grabbed a 12-10 lead behind a service ace from Bittle and a strong run from Howard at the service line. Freshman middle blocker Eliana Klos and junior opposite hitter Lauryn Copeland helped Corban stay even at 14-14, but LC state responded with an 11-4 run. Mikale Roy and Hadyn Smith combined for several kills in key moments during the surge as they would then claim the set, 25-18, forcing the infamous fifth set and opening the door for a gut-wrenching reverse sweep.
Corban opened set five with its strongest start of the evening. Klos combined with Bischoff and Copeland for consecutive blocks, jumping out to a 6-0 lead and forcing an early LC State timeout. The visitors refused to go away, however, battling back behind kills from Roy and Taylor Boyce to eventually tie the score. With momentum up in the air and the crowd holding their breath, Corban ultimately turned to their veterans to finish the job. Bischoff recorded a pivotal kill to regain the lead. Van Gemert followed with another clutch point, and Corban held a 13-11 advantage late in the set. After a Lewis-Clark service error gave the Warriors match point, Howard found Bischoff for the final swing of the night. The senior hammered her 15th kill of the match as the home crowd erupted, sealing a 15-12 victory and clinching the home victory.
Bischoff led all attackers with 15 kills while adding 15 digs for a double-double. The Medford native hit at a .143 clip, contributed three block assists, and recorded the match-winning kill in the final set. Van Gemert and senior outside/opposite hitter Kendra Bittle each added nine kills. Van Gemert led the team in hitting percentage with a .250 clip, always seeming to either score or at least keep the ball in play. Klos led the field in blocks with eight, followed by Copeland's four and junior middle blocker Gracee Robertson's three.
The offense was directed primarily by Howard, who finished with 19 assists. MacAskill added 17 assists and seven digs. Defensively, Street led all Warriors with 19 digs and chipped in two service aces. As a team Corban totaled 42 kills, 39 assists, 68 digs, 11 blocks, and six service aces in the victory.
Lewis-Clark State was led offensively by Taylor Boyce and Hadyn Smith, who recorded 13 kills apiece. Addison Wilson led the defense at the net with six blocks. Teagan Scott put up 38 assists and Ella Stosich had 26 digs, both game-high marks.
With the victory, No. 6 Corban improved to 20-6 overall and 13-4 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play, securing a crucial five-set win over No. 22 Lewis-Clark State and completing the impressive season sweep of a fellow ranked CCC opponent. The victory broke a tie with the two Warrior programs in the conference standings and provides the Navy and Gold with a massive tiebreaker against LC State should postseason seeding come down to the wire.
Corban will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 31st, when the Warriors host Walla Walla University on Tim Hills Court. At 8pm, they will honor their two student-athletes participating in Senior Day festivities, Bittle and defensive specialist Madison Hernandez, with the match scheduled to begin right after.
Follow Corban Athletics:
Facebook | Twitter (X) | Instagram | YouTube | Email | Photo Galleries
