Corban's Nicole Weisenfelder made her first career start for the Warriors, as she tallied a match-high 13 digs in helping Corban to a season sweep over New Hope Christian Saturday in Salem.
Corban Completes Season Sweep of Non-Conference Opponent New Hope Christian
BOX SCORE
SALEM, Ore. – Five different Warriors registered five-or-more kills, as Corban University completed the season sweep of non-conference opponent New Hope Christian College with a straight-set victory, 3-0 (25-6, 25-13, 25-16), Saturday inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.
Corban (6-19) was led offensively by the duo of Alex Matulewicz and Olivia Shropshire with six kills each, while Jenny Harman, Claire Bailey, and Madison Purnell chipped in with five kills each. The setting duo of Payton Wilcox and Haley Meili combined to hand out 28 assists, as Wilcox registered a two-kill, 15-assist night and Meili had 13 assists and a match-high three service aces for the Warriors. Defensively, Nicole Weisenfelder anchored Corban's back line with a match and career-high 13 digs to go along with a match-high four blocks by Harman.
New Hope Christian (5-19) was led by Alicia Hatzel with team-high totals of six kills and 12 digs, while Chalina Siharath added four kills of her own. Kenzie Fortune ran the Deacons' offense with 13 assists, while Teone Farley-Mahoe also tallied a double-digit dig total with 10.
The opening set began with Corban scoring the first four points before the Warriors increased their lead to nine points (10-1) on a service ace by Katherine Salness. New Hope Christian would pull to within eight points (14-6) before Corban closed out the set on an 11-0 run that concluded on a kill by Weisenfelder for the 25-6 victory.
Set #2 would be a back-and-forth battle over the opening 12 combined points, as Corban broke a 6-6 tie with a 15-6 run resulting in a 21-11 lead on a combo block by Purnell and Matulewicz. Following a timeout by the visiting Deacons, Corban used a set-closing 3-2 run with Harman closing things out with a solo block for the 25-13 victory.
The third and final set would see Corban open up a 7-1 lead before New Hope Christian battled back with a 6-1 run that pulled the Deacons within a single point (8-7). The host Warriors would then use a quick 4-0 run to pull ahead by five points (12-7) before increasing their lead to eight points (22-14) on a combo block by Bailey and Harman. Despite NHCC getting within eight points again at 24-16, Corban closed out the set and match on a kill by Shropshire for the 25-16 victory and three-set sweep.
Overall, Corban registered a hitting percentage of .308 (37-9-91) compared to New Hope Christian's -.046 (15-19-87). The host Warriors also tallied six more service aces (9-to-3) and 10 more blocks (12-to-2) than the Deacons en route to the third straight sweep to open the series between the two schools.
New Hope Christian will end its regular season on Wednesday, October 30th, against Multnomah College at home inside the Rexius Event Center in Eugene. Meanwhile, Corban returns to Cascade Collegiate Conference action on Friday, November 1st, when the Warriors host Northwest beginning at 7:00 p.m. inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center in Salem.