SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The No. 8-ranked Corban University volleyball team's magical season came to an end on Wednesday afternoon in its second and final match of NAIA Final Site Pool Play, as the Warriors fell in four sets (25-20, 25-18, 11-25, 25-20) to No. 11 Bellevue University (Neb.). As the victor of Pool H, the Bruins advance to the NAIA Quarterfinals, where they will play No. 1-ranked Jamestown (34-0) on Thursday.
"What a year—I am very proud of this team, both on and off the court," head coach Kim McLain said after the heartbreaking defeat. "Tonight's match was tough, but I was proud of how the team battled. It was not the outcome we wanted, but I was proud of the never-give-up fight and grit that the team displayed."
Bellevue stormed out of the gates, taking each of the first two sets and putting Corban's backs against the wall. The Warriors didn't go quietly, however, issuing a gritty response in the third game. With the score sitting at 11-10 in favor of the Navy and Gold in a must-win set, the Warriors closed the stanza on an incredible 14-1 run to force a fourth game.
The impressive stretch was spearheaded by five service aces, three of which came from Jadyn Mullen and two of which came from Rylee Troutman.
The Bruins then jumped out to a sizeable 22-10 advantage in the fourth game, looking to end Corban's hopes of advancing. Once again, the squad from Salem showed its resilience, scoring eight-straight to cut the deficit to just four as it sought to force a fifth game.
In the end, the comeback bid fell just short, as Bellevue withstood the Warrior rally and held on for the four-set win.
The Bruins were paced by Sierra Athen and Jacki Apel, who each registered 10 kills. Defending NAIA National Setter of the Year Olivia Galas handed out 34 assists in the contest.
Avari Ridgway led the Warriors with a game-high 14 kills in the heartbreaking defeat, while Troutman added 10 of her own. Competing in her final match as a member of the Navy and Gold, Sarena Bartley notched seven putaways on Wednesday.
Cora Furman was excellent at the net in the defeat, tallying five kills on an efficient .455 clip, and assisting six blocks.
Mullen (27 assists) and senior Ciarra Judson (15 assists) combined for 42 assists as a pairing, while Kealani Ontai (19 digs) and Ridgway (13 digs) were at the forefront of Corban's defensive efforts.
In addition to Bartley and Judson, longtime Warrior staple Makenna Campbell also played in her final collegiate match on Wednesday.
Speaking on how proud she was of her team, McLain said: "I am blessed and honored to coach this group of young ladies, who put each other first and give to those around them."
Corban ends the season with a 30-3 overall record, serving as the program's most wins in a season since 1997 and the best record (.909 winning percentage) in the team's history.
Numerous records were established by the squad in the historic season, including a new all-time best winning streak (19 matches), a new highest-ever NAIA Top-25 ranking (No. 5), and the most conference wins in Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) history (20).
In addition, the squad made its sixth-straight trip to the NAIA Tournament, propelled by the CCC Regular-Season and CCC Tournament Championships.
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