SIOUX CITY, Iowa – For a second-consecutive season, the No. 5-ranked Corban University Women's Volleyball program met face-to-face with No. 22-ranked University of Mobile in postseason play and yet again, the Rams were no match for the Warriors as a 25-18, 25-23, and 25-18 straight-set sweep for the Navy and Gold provided the top seed in Pool E with an NAIA National Tournament Pool Play opening victory to give themselves a "win and in" scenario for bracket play on Friday morning.
"It is great to get a win under our belt at the national championships!" exclaimed Corban head coach Kim McLain shortly after their early morning victory. "Mobile is incredibly scrappy, and there were moments where it was difficult to put a ball down on them. We became a bit too predictable in the second set, but I'm proud of how we adjusted and responded in the third. The way we finished strong, composed, and together says so much about this group. We look forward to the journey ahead!"
While the remainder of the west coast slept, the No. 5-ranked Warriors (26-5) kicked off Wednesday morning with a dominant performance against the Southern States Athletic Conference regular season champion, as they overwhelmed the Rams (30-4) in every statistical category to snag their second-straight sweep over Mobile in as many opportunities. The second set was the only period where the Dubs struggled against the Mobile defense, as they committed some unforced attacking errors while SSAC Defensive Player of the Year, libero Jaci Drinnon, was on her A-game to dig up the remaining attacks that snuck through Mobile's front line.
Trailing 22-19 in the second, the Warriors earned back-to-back kills from senior opposite hitter Makayla Roginski and junior outside hitter Emma Bischoff to pull within a point, and following a Mobile side out, closed the set on a 4-0 run to steal the set thanks to their defensive presence at the net, orchestrated largely in part by sophomore middle blocker Addison Mills, who concluded today's match with a game-high five block assists.
Bischoff and fellow junior outside hitter Kendra Bittle led the Corban offense with 11 and 10 kills, respectively, while redshirt sophomore opposite hitter Taylor Kieser was unstoppable in her best game of the season, as she smashed seven kills with zero errors and a .636 kill percentage alongside four block assists and two digs. Roginski added eight kills and two block assists as well.
Senior Abby Guindy led all setters with 18 assists and eight digs, with junior Nadeiah Howard right behind her with 17 of her own. The Warriors' backcourt was handled with ease by junior libero Kaile'a Ontai, who dug up a team-best nine digs.
Opposite hitter Emma Hampton was the lone Ram who found continued success at an efficient rate against the Navy and Gold defense, as she tallied a match-high 12 kills and just two errors along the way. Outside hitter Corrina Porch-Maxey added eight kills and four block assists, while setting duo Emma McPherson and Hannah Ellis dealt out 16 and 15 dimes, respectively. Drinnon did it all in the backcourt for Mobile, registering a game-high 17 digs in her best effort to keep the No. 3-seed in Pool E alive against one of the Cascade Collegiate Conference's best.
The Warriors will enjoy their scheduled off-day tomorrow as the No. 1-seed in Pool E and scout their Friday opponent, No. 15-ranked Missouri Baptist University, as the Spartans will attempt to takedown the Rams themselves, who are attempting to also avenge a straight-set loss to MoBap in 2023. Corban and Missouri Baptist will clash on Friday at 9am CT/7am PT, with the Navy and Gold simply needing a win to advance to bracket play and into the national quarterfinals for a second-straight season.