LA GRANDE, Ore. – The rubber match between No. 5-ranked Corban and No. 19-ranked Bushnell went to the Warriors on Friday evening as the Willamette Valley rivals squared off in the semifinals of the Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament, 25-16, 25-23, 25-17.
 
With top-seed and regular-season champion Eastern Oregon victorious in the other semifinal, the No. 2 seed Corban and No. 3-seed Beacons were squaring off for the CCC's second automatic bid to the NAIA National tournament and Corban claimed the bid behind a dominant offensive performance.
 
Corban (24-4) hit .337 as a team, utilizing a quick set to their middles throughout the match. The Beacons struggled to adjust, resulting in an impressive 12-kill performance by Gracie Boeder on 13 swings as she hit .923.
 
The Beacons (20-12) were led by Hailey Heider and Teagan Dixon, collecting seven kills apiece with Dixon hitting .462. Soliel Sands added five blocks and Kailey Shirley collected a team-high eight digs.
 
UP NEXT: While Corban moves on to the championship game against Eastern Oregon on Saturday, the Beacons will await their NAIA tournament fate when the qualifiers are announced at 2:00 pm on Monday. Bushnell should be among the 15 at-large bids for the tournament and are hoping for a top-24 seed which would give them their first-ever opportunity to host an NAIA opening round contest.