Corban upset No. 12-ranked C of I on Friday in a four set win in Salem. (Photo Credit: Doug Pfeiler)
SALEM, Ore. – While riding a great defensive effort and playing nine freshman on the evening, the (RV) Corban University volleyball team upset No. 12-ranked College of Idaho on Friday in four sets (26-24, 25-15, 18-25, 25-14). The victory marks Corban’s fifth-straight win over the Yotes while playing in Salem, dating back to 2015.
“First I want to give a big ‘shout-out’ to our defense, which was relentless tonight in our win,” said Corban head coach Kim McLain. “I am so proud of our team as they worked very hard all week to play C of I’s very seasoned program. Our consistent level of play is getting better every day, as it showed tonight.”
The first set was a dramatic one, as the Warriors started off very cold and fell behind big, but little by little cut into the C of I lead. The Yotes eventually held a 24-22 advantage, but then Corban stormed back with four-consecutive points, highlighted by Adriana Aguayo absolutely demolishing a ball into the ground for a kill on set point.
Set two saw Corban jack up its hitting percentage to .343 while still holding C of I to just a .079 mark en route to the 10-point victory.
The Yotes bounced back in a big way in set four, however, hitting at a .448 attacking mark with 15 kills in the set to stifle Corban’s attempt at a sweep. The Warriors would get the win in the fourth set, however, jumping out to a big lead in the final stanza en route to riding the wave of excitement to the victory by 11 points.
Corban hit at a .215 mark overall on the night while playing outstanding defense and holding C of I to a .102 hitting mark.
Adriana Aguayo was stellar from the outside on the night, racking up a match-high 19 kills while swinging at a .406 mark, while Avari Ridgway also had a big evening for Corban, totaling 16 kills with a .400 hitting percentage.
Defensively, Lauren Condon and Kealani Ontai both notched 17 digs, while Madison Pfaff also proved to be key, racking up 15 digs. Corban totaled 78 as a team to just 55 for the Yotes. Both Cierra Leopoldino and Jadyn Mullen at least 25 assists in the win, with Leopoldino totaling 26.
For C of I (10-5, 5-2 CCC), it was Taylor Alexander that led the way with 10 kills on the evening, while Marija Djonovic dished out 33 assists.
Corban (9-6, 5-1 CCC) returns to the court tomorrow when it hosts No. 17-ranked Eastern Oregon University. First serve is slated for 7:30 p.m. in the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.