Parker registered 41 kills in two matches at the Big Sky Classic.
Butte, Mont. – The Corban University Volleyball team earned a split on day one of the Big Sky Classic, earning head coach Kim McLain her first-career collegiate victory. After a tough loss against #5 Rocky Mountain College in the first match of the day, the Warriors bounced back against Dickinson State University to earn the first win of their young season.
Corban vs. Dickinson State University
In its best performance of the season during the second match of the day, Corban downed Dickinson State University in four sets (25-16, 23-25, 25-16, 25-15).
"We came out strong again this afternoon against Dickinson," McLain said. "I believe the difference was that we began utilizing all of our hitters, and our blockers were very disciplined and put up a great block!"
The Warriors jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first set, thanks to two kills by freshman outside-hitter Victoria Schroeder (Corvallis, Ore.), who finished the set with seven. The Bluehawks battled right back, scoring four consecutive points to stake an early 4-3 lead. The early setback was not enough to deter the Warriors, however, as they responded with six unanswered points of their own to retake the lead for good and cruise to a 25-16 victory.
Corban stumbled in the second set, falling 25-23 in a back-and-forth battle. The Warriors played well, but a number of errors proved too much to overcome. They bounced back in the third set, highlighted by an impressive offensive performance by sophomore outside-hitter Amber Parker (Albany, Ore.), who notched eight kills in the set. The Warriors scored eight consecutive points during one stretch and cruised to another 25-16 victory.
In the fourth set, Corban picked up right where they left off from the previous stanza, scoring six unanswered points before Dickinson State managed to get on the board. The Warriors came together in that final set of the match, dismantling the Bluehawks' defense with a balanced attack. Six different Warriors recorded a kill in the set, and they rolled to a 25-15 victory to clinch the match victory three sets to one.
The Warriors were led offensively by Parker, who recorded a season and team-high 25 kills while earning a .314 attacking percentage for the match. Schroeder also had a strong showing on the offensive end with 15 kills, as well as junior middle-blocker Hannah Olson (Coos Bay, Ore.) who compiled eight kills and an impressive .375 attacking percentage. Freshman setter Madison McLain (Albany, Ore.) paced Corban with a season-high 40 assists, and sophomore libero Haley Wells (Albany, Ore.) recorded a season-high 30 digs on the day. Olson and Parker both played key roles on defense as well, recording three and 1.5 blocks, respectively.
Corban vs. #5 Rocky Mountain College
After a hard fight, the Warriors fell to #5 Rocky Mountain College in three sets (25-22, 25-14, 25-19). After holding an early lead in the first set, Corban could not seem to find an answer for the Battlin' Bears.
The Warriors jumped out to an early advantage in the first set, holding leads of 3-1, 8-4, and 9-7 before finally being caught by the Battlin' Bears. Rocky Mountain was able to tie it up at nine all, and it was a back and forth set from that point on, with the Battlin' Bears eventually taking the stanza, 25-22. Parker led the way for the Warriors, scoring three of Corban's first nine points and finishing the set with eight kills.
The Warriors started out well in the second set, taking a 7-6 lead on a kill by Parker. That was the last lead they would have in the set, however, as the Battlin' Bears scored six unanswered points and took a 12-7 lead, en route to a 25-14 victory.
In the third set, a key block by freshman middle-blocker Kinley Hickok (Anchorage, Alaska) and Olson tied the stanza at nine and put the Warriors in a position to gain some momentum. Unfortunately, Corban couldn't capitalize on the opportunity, as a few errors hindered the Warriors' efforts and ultimately led to Rocky Mountain taking the set 25-19.
"The team came out strong this morning," said McLain, "but Rocky Mountain just out-blocked us and we again fell victim to unforced errors. I have to say, we are beginning to play as a team and I am excited for our next game!"
Parker paced the Warriors offensively with a team-high 16 kills with an attack percentage of .244. McLain once again led the team in assists, recording 29, while Wells was the anchor defensively for the Warriors, recording 24 digs.
Corban (1-3) returns to the court tomorrow when it faces off against Montana State University Northern at 8 a.m. PST, before then taking on Carroll College (Mont.) in the evening at 6 p.m. PST. Live stats and video can be found here.