SALEM, Ore. – For the sixth-consecutive season, the No. 8-ranked Corban University volleyball team will be headed back to Sioux City, Iowa to compete among the NAIA's best for the NAIA National Championship. The Warriors booked their ticket with a straight-set victory over Park University Gilbert (Ariz.) on Saturday in front of a near-capacity crowd inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.
"Hats off to Park Gilbert, they came to battle tonight!" said head coach Kim McLain. "We struggled at times with our passing, which took us a little out of our normal offense on occasion. I am proud of this team's grit and never-give-up fight on the court! This team set goals, stated a vision, and I'm excited to see them continue to write their story."
Corban took advantage of some sloppy passing and serving from the visitors in the first set, claiming a 25-20 win in the stanza to bring the Warrior crowd to life.
Set two was an entirely different story, however, as Park Gilbert bounced back with a vengeance. The Warriors claimed the first two points of the game, but the Buccaneers responded by rattling off six-straight, jumping ahead and building on that momentum to eventually force a set point with a 24-21 advantage.
The resilient Warriors didn't back down, despite having their backs against the wall, answering with a four-point run of their own, and eventually completing the comeback by earning a nail-biting 27-25 set-two victory.
With all the momentum on the hometown team's side, Corban cruised in the third and final game, leading wire-to-wire and punching a return trip to the NAIA Final Site.
Rylee Troutman turned in an incredible performance in the triumph, notching a game-high 22 kills (one off her career high) on a stellar .432 hitting percentage. Avari Ridgway was also outstanding, ending the night with nine putaways on a .368 attacking clip.
Turning in sensational dig after sensational dig, Kealani Ontai wowed the Warrior crowd with a number of crucial defensive plays in the victory, ending the night with a game-high 15 digs.
Rookie Courtney Garwood—who entered tonight having appeared in 21 sets this fall—stepped up in the big match to turn in 16 assists, partnering with setting staple Jadyn Mullen (16 assists) to orchestrate Corban's attack.
Cal-Pac Attacker of the Year Amanda Jonovich spearheaded the Buccaneers' offensive efforts in the defeat, registering 14 kills on an efficient .414 hitting percentage.
Meanwhile, Corban's magical season continues, and now it will progress to the NAIA's biggest stage, something the Navy and Gold is no stranger to.
Corban (29-2) will now prepare for the NAIA Final Site, with pool match-ups set to be announced on Sunday at 5 p.m. CT on NAIA.org. The tournament will take place from November 30-December 4 at the Tyson Events Center.
Follow Corban Athletics:
Facebook l
Twitter l
Instagram l
Snapchat l
YouTube l
Email
Download our App:
iOS (iPhone/iPad) l
Android