Warriors fall in final home match of season to Southern Oregon

October 29, 2005

BOX SCORE

SALEM, Ore. – In the final home match of the season, and final home match in a Warrior uniform for four graduating seniors, Corban’s women’s volleyball team fell in three games (29-31, 24-30, 17-30) to the NAIA’s No. 11-ranked Red Raiders of Southern Oregon on Saturday night.

In their final home match as a Warrior, seniors Katie Lewin (Keizer, Ore.), Ashley Walbridge (Troutdale, Ore.), Whitney DeWolf (Central Point, Ore.), and Bailey Willcox (Jackson, Wyo.) combined for 14 kills, 33 assists, 12 digs, and 4 blocks over the three games.

In the first two games, both teams battled back and forth with neither gaining an edge until the final few points when the visiting Red Raiders used their size and power to overwhelm the Warriors and take the first two games by a combined 8 points (31-29 and 30-24).

In the third and final game, Southern Oregon came out gunning for the 3-game sweep, as they took an early 7-point lead (11-4) before watching Corban claw their way back to within 4 points at 13-9.  Over the remainder of the game, the visiting Red Raiders used a potent offensive attack combined with a 17-6 run to complete the sweep and walk out of the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center with their conference-leading 15th win in conference play this season.

Corban was led by Stacey Casebier’s (Medford, Ore.) match-high 11 kills, while Lewin and freshman Chelsea Reeher (Powell Butte, Ore.) added 9 and 8 kills respectively.  Walbridge and DeWolf, who were splitting time as the setter for the first time this season, guided the Warriors’ offensive attack with a team-high 15 assists each, while junior libero Becky Horn (Troutdale, Ore.) anchored Corban’s back line with a match-high 29 digs.

Horn, who is the conference leader in digs per game at 6.35, has recorded a team-high 470 digs this season, which places her 3rd on the all-time single season digs chart and puts her 64 digs away from the record set last season by Jamie Ruda.  With two matches remaining, Horn must average 32.5 digs per match in order to pass the conference libero award winner from last season.

Southern Oregon was led by Nicolette Le Bel’s match-high 11 kills, while Richelle Millsap and Shanna Claflin each added 9 kills.  Jamie McCreary guided the Raiders’ offense with a match-high 42 assists, while Kristen Lilly anchored Southern Oregon’s back line with a team-high 23 digs.

With the loss, Corban falls to 6-14 overall, 6-10 in Cascade Collegiate play.  Southern Oregon improves to 23-3 overall, 15-1 in Cascade Collegiate play.  The Warriors are next in action on Friday, November 4th, when they travel to Olympia, Washington, for a match-up with The Evergreen State College beginning at 7:00 p.m.