SALEM, Ore – For a second consecutive night, the No. 6-ranked Corban University Women's Volleyball team found itself back against the wall, locked in a winner-take-all fifth set. Just as they had 24 hours earlier, the Warriors rose to the occasion, rallying from deficits throughout the afternoon to defeat No. 17-ranked Southern Oregon University in a thrilling Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) showdown on Tim Hills Court. Corban secured the 25-20, 20-25, 22-25, 25-19, 15-12 victory to improve to 12-5 overall and 5-3 in CCC play, while the Raiders dropped to 12-6 overall and 4-4 in conference contests.
"It was great to get another win tonight!" exclaimed Corban head coach Kim McLain following her team's second five-set marathon of the weekend. "I'm proud of our team's fight and the way we continue to make small adjustments to improve each match. Our blocking came up big tonight and made a difference. We know we need to continue growing offensively, but I'm proud of the effort and determination that this team continues to show. We look forward to getting back in the gym and putting in the work!"
Tonight's matchup featured two of the five CCC programs ranked in the NAIA Women's Volleyball Coaches' Poll, both of whom entered the contest searching for momentum following demanding stretches of their schedules. Corban wasted little time setting the tone, using a 5-0 run midway through the opening set to build separation. Behind strong play from senior outside hitter Emma Bischoff, junior middle blocker Gracee Robertson, and freshman middle blocker Eliana Klos, the Warriors held off a late Raider push to take the opener, 25-20.
Southern Oregon responded emphatically in the second frame, using an 8-0 run to transform an early tie into a commanding advantage, building a lead as large as 12-4. Corban chipped away behind Robertson and Bischoff, trimming the deficit to five on multiple occasions, but Southern Oregon maintained control throughout the set to even the match with a 25-20 victory of their own.
The visitors carried that momentum into the third stanza, frustrating the Warrior attack and limiting Corban to a negative hitting percentage for the set. Southern Oregon gradually extended its lead to 17-10 before the Navy and Gold mounted a late rally. Behind the serving of senior setter Nadeiah Howard, Corban closed the gap to within 24-22, but the Raiders escaped with the set and moved one frame away from victory.
Facing a 2-1 match deficit, the Warriors delivered their most dominant stretch of the afternoon, exploding out of the gate to an 11-4 lead in the fourth set behind a massive service run from Bischoff, who helped spark nine unanswered Warrior points. The front-row combination of Robertson, Klos, and junior opposite hitter Lauryn Copeland controlled the net, while the Warrior defense repeatedly turned away Southern Oregon attacks. Corban never surrendered the lead the entire set and forced a decisive fifth set with a 25-19 triumph.
The fifth set showcased the perpetual grit of both nationally ranked programs. Southern Oregon held leads of 10-7 and 11-9 and appeared poised to complete the road upset. However, the Warriors answered with one final surge, as Robertson recorded a critical kill to tie the set, while a pair of clutch blocks from Robertson and Copeland shifted momentum entirely. Corban scored six of the match's final seven points, turning an 11-9 deficit into a 15-12 victory and completing the comeback within the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.
Robertson turned in one of the finest performances of her early Warrior career, finishing with 10 kills on a .381 attacking percentage while tying a match-high with 10 block assists for her first collegiate double-double. Copeland added seven kills and matched Robertson with 10 block assists. Klos was outstanding in the middle of the net as she was elevated to a starting role this weekend, posting six kills on a scorching .600 hitting clip while adding seven block assists. Bischoff led the offense with 14 kills, 12 digs, and three service aces for her fourth consecutive double-double, while senior outside hitter Kendra Bittle contributed eight kills, 12 digs, and two aces.
Howard dished out 25 assists and added nine digs, while redshirt freshman setter Braeleigh MacAskill contributed 24 assists, two aces, and several key distributions during the Warriors' fourth-set turnaround. Junior libero Dani Street anchored the back row with a match-high 20 digs and two service aces.
For the Raiders, Friley Curtiss paced the attack with a match-high 18 kills, eight of which came in the second set alone, while Violeta Bachvarova added 11 kills and Lanie Snow and Marian Vega Castro chipped in eight apiece. Annie Hite directed the offense with 33 assists and 13 digs for a double-double effort, and Maelle Garon added eight assists while collecting 20 digs. Southern Oregon finished with 58 kills and 74 digs compared to 54 and 64 for the Warriors, respectively, but the Navy and Gold frontline held a decisive 17-10 advantage in total blocks while the aggressive serving led to an 11-6 Corban advantage in service aces.
Notable Statistics
- The Warriors have won back-to-back five-set matches on Tim Hills Court this weekend.
- Bischoff recorded her fourth consecutive double-double with 14 kills and 12 digs.
- Robertson and Copeland each finished with 10 block assists, while Eliana Klos added seven as Corban amassed 34 block assists as a team.
- Corban hit .500 in the decisive fifth set, committing just one attacking error while recording eight kills.
- The Warriors closed the match on a 6-1 run after trailing 11-9 in the final frame.
The Warriors will hit the road next weekend looking to extend their momentum prior to the midway point of the conference schedule, beginning a CCC trip to face Walla Walla University (3-7, 3-5) on Friday, October 2nd in College Place, Washington.
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