Walla Walla University Upsets Corban in Five Games

With its 2007 non-conference schedule complete, Corban finds itself at 4-5 overall.

Junior Margo Wyatt extended her streak of 15-or-more digs to five straight matches on Thursday, but Corban fell to the Wolves of Walla Walla University. Photo courtesy: Corban Sports Information

SALEM, Ore. - Freshman Kristen Eiler recorded a match-high 12 kills and junior Margo Wyatt extended her consecutive streak of 15-or-more digs to five straight matches, but Corban's women's volleyball team dropped a heart-breaking five-game match, 3-2 (23-30, 29-31, 30-18, 30-18, 10-15), to the visiting Wolves of Walla Walla on Thursday inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.

This is the first win for the Wolves against any Warrior volleyball team dating back to the 2001 season when then-Western Baptist began the series with back-to-back wins over their National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) affiliated opponent.

Despite the visiting Wolves of Walla Walla arriving less than thirty minutes prior to the start of the match due to traffic problems from Portland, the Spokane-area based squad came out and dominated in the opening game, rallying off three straight points following an 11-11 tie to take the lead and never looked back.

Corban attempted to climb back into the first game, but could not overcome untimely hitting errors that allowed the visiting Wolves to increase their lead to as much as nine points (26-17) following an combo block from Josselyn Peterson and Alissa Clancy.

Walla Walla took the opening game by seven points (30-23) and stunned a lively Warrior crowd into silence.

Game #2 began the same way for Corban, as Walla Walla jumped out to a commanding 7-2 advantage behind the serving of Clancy.

The host Warriors proceeded to calm down a bit and used an 11-7 run to get back within a point of the visiting Wolves (14-13) therefore forcing Walla Walla to call a timeout.

Coming out of the mini-break, Walla Walla used a 3-0 run to regain control for the time-being.

Corban rallied back to tie the game at 19-all thanks to a 5-2 run and then increased its lead to three points (23-20) following an attack error by Walla Walla.

Down by two points (29-27) and facing game point, Corban was handed a gift when Walla Walla's Hailee Cole committed back-to-back attack errors therefore tying the game at 29-all, forcing extra play, and requiring the Wolves to call their second and final timeout of the game.

Walla Walla got back-to-back kills by Jennifer James and Torrey Haddad to end the game (31-29) and put Corban in a two games-to-none hole heading into the ten-minute break.

In the third game, Corban knew that something needed to change or else the night would end with Walla Walla walking away from the Capitol city with the victory.

First-year head coach Heather Dunn inserted her normal starting line-up and watched as the Warriors began to roll over the visiting Wolves with ease.

Following a kill by Walla Walla's Sharla Schroeder that brought the visiting Wolves back within a point (7-6), Corban went on a 4-0 run capped by a kill from freshman Teri Braun that gave the Warriors an 11-6 lead.

The Warriors continued to extend its lead to as much as seven points (17-10) following a kill by junior Rashelle Davenport that forced Walla Walla to call a timeout.

Out of the break, Corban did not stop applying the pressure and used a 13-8 run to close out the game (30-18) and pull closer to Walla Walla heading into the crucial fourth game.

In Game #4, Corban rode the serving arm of Wyatt to a three-point lead (7-4) before hopping aboard the arm of senior Caylin Bankston to extend the Warriors' lead to six points (12-6).

Corban ballooned its lead to six points (23-17) again following back-to-back service points from sophomore Andrea Swanick before Davenport took over in the end and helped the Warriors build a commanding 10-point lead (28-18).

A Walla Walla service and attack error ended the game (30-18) and knotted everything at 2-games apiece.

In the fifth and final game, Walla Walla jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead before Davenport stepped behind the service line and pulled Corban back within a point (7-6).

The visiting Wolves earned the ever critical eighth point of the finale, therefore forcing both teams to switch sides, and never allowed Corban back into game thanks to a match-closing 7-4 run that handed Walla Walla the game, 15-10, and the match in five games.

Along with Eiler, junior Chelsea Reeher and Davenport recorded 11 and 9 kills respectively.

Sophomore setter Amy Thompson handed out a match-high 45 assists to give her a combined 90 assists in two matches this week, while Wyatt anchored Corban's back line with a match-high 25 digs.

Reeher and Thompson each recorded their second straight double-double, while Davenport had her three-match streak of 10-or-more kills snapped.

Walla Walla was led by Sam Seaman's team-high 8 kills, while Cole and Haddad added 6 kills each.

Nine of the Wolves' 11 players recorded two-or-more kills on the night, while Haddad handed out a team-high 27 assists and Quijuana Oucharick recorded a team-high 13 digs from the back row.

With its 2007 non-conference schedule complete, Corban finds itself at 4-5 overall.

Meanwhile, Walla Walla improves 2-7 overall and snaps a two-match losing streak to Cascade Collegiate Conference opponents.

The Warriors return to conference play on Saturday, September 15th, against first-year member Northwest Christian beginning at 7:00 p.m. inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.

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