Corban Volleyball won a thriller on Friday evening, downing the Beacons in four sets. (Photo Credit: Doug Pfeiler)
SALEM, Ore. – The Corban University volleyball team won in exciting fashion on Friday night against its I-5 rival to the south, Northwest Christian University, downing the Beacons in four sets (25-15, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23).
"Tonight was a tough battle, and I am very proud of how the team fought hard through the match," said Corban head coach Kim McLain.
In front of a lively crowd, the Warriors dominated set number one, 25-15 thanks to a .514 hitting percentage. The second set was a different story however, as 11 errors led to a -.024 attacking mark and the Beacons coming out on top by two points.
Corban outlasted NCU in the final two sets that proved to go back and forth, with Corban winning by just three points and two points against the Beacons, respectively.
Overall as a team, Corban only hit at a .200 mark, while NCU finished hitting at a .201 mark. Corban finished with 13 more kills overall than NCU did, and 17 more assists, with Adriana Aguayo leading the way with 15 kills and Jadyn Mullen dishing out a team-high 29 assists.
Cierra Leopoldino chipped in 24 assists for the Warriors, while Cassie Cunningham totaled 13 kills and Tori Edwards 12. Defensively, an all-around team effort led to Corban's victory, with Kealani Ontai tallying 12 digs to lead the way while Mullen and Pfaff combined for 19 more.
At the net, Jacquelyn Clark totaled a team-best three blocks for Corban, while Avari Ridgway and Demi Winters both tallied two.
For NCU, it was Claire Salness pacing the Beacon offense with 11 kills, while Haley Meili recorded a team-best 19 assists. In addition, Kayla Olson notched a team-leading 13 digs in the defeat.
Corban takes a break from action over the weekend before hosting a pair of top-25 ranked opponents next weekend in College of Idaho and Eastern Oregon University. First serves on Friday and Saturday are slated for 7:30 p.m.