Corban Drops It’s First Conference Volleyball Match to Eastern Oregon

The Warriors will return to action on Saturday when they continue conference action at Albertson College of Idaho beginning at 7:00 PM in Caldwell, Idaho.

Corban's Hallie Hofferd

LA GRANDE - In the opening Cascade Collegiate Conference match of the season, Corban's women's volleyball team fell to the Mountaineers of Eastern Oregon, 3-2 (26-30, 30-23, 30-24, 21-30, 13-15), despite a team-high 14 kills from senior Hallie Hofferd and a valiant comeback in the fifth and final set on Friday night.

In the first game, Corban founds itself up by 7 points (14-7) following a kill by sophomore Jessica McGraw.

Thanks to a 10-3 run by the host Mountaineers, the game was tied at 17-all following an attack error by Hofferd.

The Warriors got back within 2 points (28-26) after a service ace by McGraw, but could not get an closer as EOU took the game by 4 points (30-26).

With the Warriors trailing by a point (18-17) in the second game, seventeen-year head coach Tracy Smith called a timeout.

Following the break in action, Corban rallied off 8 straight points, highlighted by a pair of kills from sophomore Chelsea Reeher to take the lead by 6 (26-18).

Despite an attempted comeback by EOU, the Warriors hung tough a tied the match 1-1 thanks to a 7-point victory (30-23).

Corban opened the third game by scoring 5 unanswered points before Eastern Oregon stormed back behind an 8-3 run to tie the game at 8-all. In what seemed to be a see-saw battle, both teams used numerous 2-point rallies before

Corban tied the game at 15-15 thanks to an EOU service error.

Four EOU attack errors helped the Warriors take a 20-15 lead before the Mountaineers scored 3 straight points to pull within 3 (20-18).

Corban answered with 4 points of its own highlighted by kills from Hofferd and junior Ashley Lange to go up 6 (24-18).

Both teams traded points throughout the remainder of the game before Corban grabbed the middle frame via an EOU attack error, 30-24.

The fourth game saw only two ties (5-5 & 6-6) before Eastern Oregon took control thanks to 6 unanswered points to go up 12-6.

Corban could not get any closer than 4 points, as the Mountaineers forced the visiting Warriors into 9 attack errors compared to only 8 kills.

Corban was forced to play its first five-game match of the season when Eastern Oregon captured Game #4 by 9 points (30-21).

In the fifth and final game, Eastern Oregon seemed to put the match away after scoring 7 straight points following an early 5-5 tie.

With a never-quit attitude, Corban stormed back thanks to a 4-1 rally and got within 4 points (13-9) before surrending EOU's 14th point via a Hofferd service error.

With their backs against the wall, the Warriors scored 4 unanswered points, highlighted by two Reeher kills, to pull within a mere point (14-13), but could not complete the comeback when EOU ended the match at 15-13.

Hofferd ended the match with a team-high 14 kills, while Reeher and McGraw added 13 and 9 respectively.

Corban's Jessica McGraw

McGraw guided Corban's offense with a team-high 22 assists, while senior libero Becky Horn put up another huge number in the Warriors' back line with a match-high 32 digs. McGraw has posted a double-double in each of the Warriors' five matches, while coming within a combined 3 kills of two triple-doubles. McGraw also came with two blocks of posting Corban's first triple-double of the season thanks to a match-high 8 blocks (all assist) tonight.

The Warriors recorded a season-high 13 team blocks (2 solo, 22 assist), as four players register 4-or-more blocks.

Eastern Oregon was led by Grace DeBoodt's match-high 19 kills, while Chelsea Lally added 16. Alissa Clinton guided the Mountaineer offense with a match-high 39 assists, while Kiley Cobb anchored the EOU back line with a team-high 20 digs.

Corban is now 1-4 overall, 0-1 in Cascade Collegiate Conference action.

Meanwhile, Eastern Oregon earned its first win of the season and is now 1-4 overall, 1-0 in CCC play.

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