SALEM, ORE. - The Northwest University volleyball team were defeated in three sets against the No. 4 team and conference rivals Corban University on the road.
The Eagles previously faced the No. 1 team in the country in Eastern Oregon last weekend and were swept. Right on the Mountaineers' heels, however, is No. 4 Corban, who have been on a roll themselves with a five-game win streak entering tonight's match.
The opener was a tug-of-war, with both sides trading points. The Eagles briefly surged ahead midway through the frame to go up, 15-11. However, the Warriors answered in kind with a 6-1 run to launch themselves ahead by one. After the Eagles trimmed it to 24-23, the Warriors sealed the frame with one last kill, giving themselves the edge, 25-23.
The second set was all Warriors from the start with an 8-2 opener. The Eagles briefly closed in with the score at 8-5, but a 4-0 run and a 7-1 surge by the Warriors promptly put the game out of reach. Though the Eagles picked up a couple late points, Corban cruised to the finish line, taking the second set, 25-16.
The final set mirrored the first, with constant momentum swings. The Eagles started hot for a quick 4-2 lead, but Corban did not go down quietly. Later in the set with the score tied 14-14, the Warriors strung together a 6-0 stretch to put themselves in good contention for the win. As the score reached 24-17 Warriors, the Eagles struck back. The away squad produced a five-point comeback that pulled them within two and close to overtime. However, the Warriors collected themselves and secured the final point to win the set 25-22 and win the overall match.
Chloe Kennedy secured eight kills on the night, while Morgan Harter continued to dazzle in the assist column with 21 on the night.
"Very impressed with Corban's defense and ability to score in transition, which was the difference in the match," said Head Coach Steven Bain. "Overall, though, I was pleased with our mindset, and our ladies did a nice job of adjusting to the changes we asked them to make."
The Eagles will travel down I-5 to Eugene tomorrow to take on Bushnell University at 4:00 PM.
