MESA, Ariz. – No other NAIA program can boast a fifth-consecutive national semifinalist appearance, as the No. 3-ranked Corban University Beach Volleyball team battled to a top four finish at the 2026 NAIA National Invitational, falling to fellow Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) member and No. 1-ranked Southern Oregon University by a 3-0 final score to decision at the Arizona Athletic Grounds.
"We ended the season fighting and giving full effort, but we lost to the better SOU team," Warriors' head coach Dan Stephens began in his final postgame interview of the year. "It was a good season, and we kept improving throughout the year, which was a very positive experience. We will return a good group next year and try to make another run at claiming our second national title."
In their sixth meeting of the season, the Warriors (28-8) fought tooth and nail with their conference rivals, eventually dropping a 3-0 decision despite mounting comeback bids on all three courts. The Dubs' top duo of senior Emmi Marks and junior Emma Bischoff were seven points away from clinching the 1s over Tessa Zimmermann and Grace Gulbrandson for a fifth time this year, while the 5s pairing of junior Jordan Faircloth and sophomore Rebecca Wilber were battling in a must-win second set.
Marks and Bischoff will finish the 2026 season as the only pairing across the country to eclipse the 30-win mark in head-to-head matchups, as they clinched a 30-2 overall record with a 3-0 weekend in southcentral Arizona that could have included two more victories had they been able to complete their matches with Ave Maria University and Southern Oregon. The Warriors second and third overall duos, consisting of senior Gabi Engels/redshirt sophomore Allyson Reid and senior Alexis Adebodun/junior Cammie Masanda, played their final collegiate contests for the Warrior beach volleyball program, ending with records of 21-13 and 24-9 this spring season.
NAIA Semifinals – Dual 3 | #1 Southern Oregon 3, #3 Corban 0
1. Emmi Marks/Emma Bischoff (CRB) led Tessa Zimmermann/Grace Gulbrandson (SOU) 14-21, 21-15, 8-5
2. Kira Sandoval/Molly Grace (SOU) def. Gabi Engels/Allyson Reid (CRB) 21-16, 21-10
3. Maelle Garon/Andressa Ribeiro Soares (SOU) def. Cammie Masanda/Alexis Adebodun (CRB) 21-18, 21-19
4. Kaitlyn Shilling/Amanda Moffat (SOU) def. Erin Scott/Emily Blagg (CRB) 21-15, 21-19
5. Kendal Hadwick/Natalie Perez (SOU) led Rebecca Wilber/Jordan Faircloth (CRB) 27-25, 14-14
The Sandy Warriors finish the 2026 campaign with a 28-8 overall record, finishing second in the CCC with a 13-2 conference record. They'll graduate ten senior student-athletes and have already recruited a handful of new members of the Navy and Gold to begin their true freshman or first-year Corban seasons in their fall ball season this upcoming school year.
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