Lady Warriors Fall to Oregon Tech

Oregon Tech was led by Michelle Klaja's match and team-high 15 kills, while Beth Fuller and Anna Leal added 8 and 7 respectively.

Corban sophomore Amy Thompson handed out a match-high 36 assists to bring her total over the Warriors' last two matches to 107. Photo courtesy; Corban Sports Information

SALEM, Ore. - Juniors Rashelle Davenport and Chelsea Reeher each recorded a team-high 11 kills, but Corban's women's volleyball team fell to the Hustlin' Owls of Oregon Tech, 3-0 (16-30, 28-30, 16-30), on Friday night inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.

After winning a thrilling four-game match last Saturday against first-year conference member Northwest Christian, Corban came out looking very sluggish and lethargic against the Hustlin' Owls of Oregon Tech.

In the opening game, Corban fell behind quickly as the host Warriors found themselves down by seven (10-3) following a host of attack errors.

Oregon Tech quickly built its lead to double digits (21-9) and continued to apply the pressure.

Fortunately for the Warriors, they were able to climb back into the opening stanza and pull within nine (24-15) following a kill from senior co-captain Ashley Lange.

That was as close as Corban would get, as the visiting Hustlin' Owls used a 6-1 run to close out Game #1, 30-16.

Game #2 had a little different feel as Corban did not seem as intimidated by Oregon Tech and began to slowly chip away at the Hustlin' Owls' armor.

Despite falling behind by eight (13-5) following five straight Warrior attack errors, Corban used a 13-5 run to knot the middle game at 18-all thanks to an OIT ball handling error.

With the score reading 19-19, freshman Teri Braun gave the Warriors a slim one-point lead before handing things over to sophomore Amy Thompson.

The 5-foot-6 setter then stepped behind the service line and proceeded to hand the Warriors four straight points via an ace, a kill by Lange, and a pair of OIT attack errors therefore forcing the Hustlin' Owls' coaching staff to call a timeout.

Despite trailing by five points (24-19), Oregon Tech did not let the margin faze them and proceeded to use a 6-1 run to tie the game at 25-25.

From that point on, OIT shut the door on Corban's potential comeback and rode out the second game to a two-point victory, 30-28.

In the third and final game, Oregon Tech once again jumped out to a quickly lead (7-2) before increasing it to double digits (22-12) following a Warrior attack error.

Even though Corban attempted to climb back into the game and match, the Warriors could not overcome a poor hitting percentage and watched as OIT cruised to an identical margin of victory as the opening game (30-16) and won the match in a three-game sweep.

Along with Davenport and Reeher, freshman Kristen Eiler and Lange added 7 and 4 kills respectively.

Thompson handed out a match-high 36 assists to bring her total over the Warriors' last two matches to 107.

From Corban's back row, junior Margo Wyatt registered a match-high 18 digs to go along with Reeher's seven and senior Caylin Bankston's four.

Oregon Tech was led by Michelle Klaja's match and team-high 15 kills, while Beth Fuller and Anna Leal added 8 and 7 respectively.

Lizzie Law and Katie Fuller combined to hand out 38 assists with Law leading the setting duo with a team-high 21.

OIT's libero Krystie Vea anchored the Hustlin' Owls' back line with a team-high 11 digs, while Klaja and Law each recorded seven digs.

Four matches into its home schedule, Corban find itself at 5-6 overall, 3-2 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play.

Meanwhile, Oregon Tech pushes its winning streak to four matches and improves to 11-7 overall, 3-2 in CCC action.

The Warriors return to the court tomorrow night -- Saturday, September 22nd -- when they host nationally-ranked Southern Oregon beginning at 7:00 p.m. inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.

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