Corban VB Season Finishes in NAIA Quarterfinal Loss to No. 1 Lindsey Wilson

12/1/2017 6:35:00 PM

Danny Day, Director of Athletic Communications

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The No. 10-ranked Corban University volleyball season came to an end on Friday night in the NAIA Volleyball Championship Quarterfinals, as the Warriors fell to the No. 1-ranked and undefeated Lindsey Wilson College in straight sets (25-16, 25-15, 25-18). For Corban, it was the best season in program history.

"It was such an honor to be a part of many firsts for Corban Volleyball," said Corban head coach Kim McLain. "To be able to clinch the CCC regular-season title, the tournament championship, and then to finish in the final eight at nationals is incredible! I want to thank the seniors who gave to this program! They will truly be missed!"

Corban finishes the year with a 27-9 overall record and its second-straight trip to the NAIA Championship Final Site, somewhere the Warriors had never been prior to 2016. The 2017 campaign saw Corban capture its first-ever Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) regular-season title to go along with the conference tournament championship and a trip to the national quarterfinals.

The Warriors came up against a Lindsey Wilson (33-0) squad that is still undefeated and was firing on all cylinders on Friday evening, as the Blue Raiders racked up 50 kills and hit for a .348 mark as a team. Corban managed to hit for just a .155 clip overall on the night, and ultimately Corban found itself playing from behind for most of the evening, making it tough to find a rhythm offensively.

No one reached double-figures in kills for Corban offensively, as both Amber Parker and Marandah Boeder tallied six kills, while Alaina Gentili and Bethany Filipenko both recorded five. Madison Milligan totaled a team-best 17 assists, while Cierra Leopoldino notched 11 assists.

Defensively, Corban totaled only two team blocks and 45 digs, with Haley Wells racking up a team-best 12 digs.

For Lindsey Wilson, it was Elly Burke who led the way with 18 kills on a .515 hitting percentage, while keeping the offense flowing was Montano Makenzi with 48 assists.

The Warriors return a strong core of players in 2018 and will also be looking to reload in some key spots on the court. With head coach Kim McLain at the helm, the future most certainly looks bright.