Sweep Hands Warriors Second Conference Victory

Corban fell behind 3-1 in the opening game before reeling off five straight points to go up by two (5-3).

Corban junior Rashelle Davenport recorded 10-or-more kills for the second straight match, as Corban gained its second conference victory of the season tonight against Northwest University. Photo courtesy: Corban Sports Information

KIRKLAND, Wash. - After getting an uncharacteristic night off due to a forfeit by Evergreen on Friday, Corban's women's volleyball team traveled north and swept Northwest University, 3-0 (30-17, 30-27, 30-25), to pick up its second conference victory of the season Saturday inside the Pavilion.

Junior Rashelle Davenport led all players with 19 kills, while freshman Kristen Eiler and senior Ashley Lange added 14 and 6 kills respectively.

For the first time since the 2002 season, Corban opens its conference schedule undefeated after the opening weekend.

In 2002, then-Western Baptist opened with conference victories over Northwest (3-1) and Evergreen (3-0) and then won three of its next four conference matches to improve to 5-1 after the opening six CCC matches of the season.

In tonight's match, Corban fell behind 3-1 in the opening game before reeling off five straight points to go up by two (5-3).

The Warriors pushed their lead to as much as 12 points (22-10) following a kill by Eiler.

Northwest got as close as nine points (26-15) thanks to a kill by the Eagles' Lauren Holtz before Corban closed out the game winning by 13 points, 30-17.

In Game #2, the Warriors once again dropped the opening point and then trailed by another two points (7-5) before using a 5-0 run to go ahead, 10-7.

During the run, Davenport had a pair of kills, while Lange and freshman Teri Braun each added a kill.

Northwest fought back on two separate occasions and pulled within a single point at 11-10 & 12-11 before Corban used an 11-6 run to take what seemed to be a commanding six point lead (23-17) following a service ace by Lange.

Unfortunately for the Warriors, Northwest did not go away so easily and battled back to tie the game at 26-all thanks to a 9-3 run of its own.

The visiting Warriors then went on a mini 2-0 run thanks to kills by Davenport and Lange to go up 28-26 before closing out the match, 30-27, thanks to a service ace by junior Margo Wyatt and another kill by Davenport.

In the third and final game, Corban repeated its trend and trailed by a score of 2-1 before Northwest pushed its lead to three points twice (5-2 & 6-3).

Fortunately for the Warriors, the game was tied at 9-9 after a service ace by senior Caylin Bankston before a kill by Davenport and another ace from Bankston handed Corban a slim two-point advantage (11-9).

Over the course of the next 20 points, neither team had more than a two point lead until Davenport gave the Warriors a three-point advantage (23-20) with her 17th kill of the match.

Northwest tied the game at 24-all before Corban closed out the game and the match, 30-25, thanks to Eiler's 14th and final kill of the evening.

Along with the total number of kills by the trio of Davenport, Eiler, and Lange, sophomore setter Amy Thompson handed out a match-high 38 assists for the Warriors.

Wyatt anchored Corban's back line with a match-high 19 digs, while Davenport and Reeher added 13 and 8 digs respectively.

Northwest was led by Laura Peterson's team-high 10 kills, while Gina Lubanovici and two other Eagles (Holtz and Madeleine Krahn) added 8 and 7 kills respectively.

Tarah Petrick led the Eagles with a team-high 30 assists, while Holtz and Andrea Cotton anchored the Eagles' back row with a team-high 10 digs each.

With the win, Corban improves to 4-3 overall, 2-0 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play.

Meanwhile, Northwest falls to 1-3 overall, 0-2 in CCC action.

The Warriors continue conference play with their home opener on Tuesday, September 11th, against Concordia University beginning at 7:00 p.m. inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.

NOTE:

Tuesday is Serve It Up BBQ Night, as the athletic department will be hosting a pre-match barbeque beginning at 5:45 p.m. in the gymnasium parking lot immediately in front of the main entrance to the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.

Prizes will be given away during the match, so come and cheer on the Warriors as they look to push their winning streak to four straight matches.

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