SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The No. 8-ranked Corban University volleyball team opened up NAIA Final Site Pool Play with a four-set victory over No. 16 Ottawa University (Ariz.) on Tuesday afternoon (25-16, 18-25, 25-22, 25-18). With the win, the Navy and Gold is now in a position to compete for a spot in the NAIA Quarterfinals, taking on No. 11 Bellevue College tomorrow afternoon for a spot in the NAIA's Final Eight.
"Ottawa was very scrappy and quick at the net," said head coach Kim McLain. "We came out serving and passing well, which helped establish our middles. In the second set, we struggled to win the serve and pass game, and that allowed them to take advantage offensively. I was proud of the team and how we refocused and finished that match strong!"
The Warriors put on an offensive clinic in the first set, registering just one error as a team en route to a .486 hitting percentage in the opening stanza. That helped the squad to a dominating 25-16 win, during which the Navy and Gold never trailed.
The Spirit bounced back with an 25-18 triumph in the next game to even the set count at a game apiece, paving the way for a tooth-and-nail third set. The two powerhouses from the West battled back and forth for the majority of the set, as Corban narrowly held on to just a one-point advantage (19-18) late in the frame. A resounding kill from Allyson Reid sparked a 4-1 run for Corban, which helped the squad create a little bit of breathing room and eventually outlast the Spirit (25-22) to take re-take the set lead, 2-1.
The fourth set started as another nail-biting affair, with each team matching the other point-for-point en route to an early 6-6 deadlock. At that point, the Warriors went on a pivotal five-point run, grabbing a valuable cushion which would end up lasting for the remainder of the frame. It was Rylee Troutman who earned the match point, smashing one of the Ottawa block out of bounds to seal the triumph.
CLICK HERE to watch the final point of the match.
Troutman was unstoppable offensively in the victory, leading the Warriors with 16 kills on an exceptional .317 hitting percentage. Right behind her was Avari Ridgway, who compiled 14 putaways on a .281 clip, while also chipping in a trio of aces from the service line.
Putting together yet another impressive effort at the net, Allyson Reid dominated up front, notching eight kills in 12 total attempts (.583 attack percentage) and collecting a pair of block assists.
Jadyn Mullen (23 assists) and Ciarra Judson (17 assists) combined for a strong setting performance as they orchestrated the Warrior attack, while Kealani Ontai (14 digs), Judson (11 digs) and Ridgway (11 digs) each ended the afternoon with a double-digit dig count to lead the charge defensively.
Corban (30-2) will wrap up its NAIA Pool Play regimen tomorrow against No. 11-ranked Bellevue University (24-7)—which serves as the No. 2 seed in the grouping. First serve will take place at 3:30 p.m. CT. Should the Warriors win, they'll earn a spot in the NAIA Quarterfinals for just the second time in program history.
Live stats for the match will available HERE.
Live video for the match will be available HERE.
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