FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 3rd, 2026
Portland, Ore. |Â The Warner Pacific University women's volleyball team opened Cascade Collegiate Conference play Thursday night at CC Perry Gymnasium, battling Bushnell University in a four-set matchup. After dropping the opening two sets, the Knights responded with a strong third-set performance before the Beacons closed out the match, 25-11, 25-19, 22-25, 25-9.
Warner Pacific showed its resilience throughout the night, with its best stretch coming after falling behind two sets to none. The Knights refused to go quietly, responding with an impressive effort in the third to extend the match.
Bushnell controlled much of the opening set, building an early advantage that Warner Pacific was unable to overcome. Josie Schultz, Naomi Johnson, Tayah-Anne Toa and Mia Carman each recorded kills for the Knights, but the Beacons took the opener 25-11.
The Knights found a much better rhythm in the second set. Schultz helped Warner Pacific jump out to a quick 3-0 advantage, and the two sides went back and forth throughout the middle stages. Kills from Johnson, Tayah-Anne Toa and Daisci Burrows helped WPU stay in front at different points, with the Knights holding leads of 10-8 and 13-12.
Warner Pacific continued to battle as the set progressed, tying the score at 15-15 before Bushnell eventually created separation. Even facing set point at 24-16, the Knights fought off three straight opportunities behind a Schultz kill, an Amor Rapoza service ace and a Tayah-Anne Toa kill before Bushnell secured the set, 25-19.
Facing a 2-0 deficit, Warner Pacific delivered its strongest response of the night in the third.
The Knights quickly established themselves, with Rapoza opening the set at the service line and helping WPU take a 2-0 advantage. After Bushnell moved ahead 8-5, Warner Pacific answered with a seven-point swing to take control at 12-8. Tayah-Anne Toa provided multiple kills during the run, while Johnson and Allison Dorigo combined for a block as the Knights began building momentum.
Warner Pacific continued pushing and stretched its advantage to 17-11. Bushnell managed to battle back and eventually took a 22-21 lead, but the Knights delivered when the set was on the line.
Tayah-Anne Toa came through with back-to-back kills to put Warner Pacific back in front, 23-22. The Knights then forced consecutive Bushnell attack errors to finish off the 25-22 victory and force a fourth set.
"I am very proud of our girls tonight," Head Coach Nerisa Laban said. "We served tough to get them out of system which directly lead to a set win. The defense tonight was phenominal against a bigger Bushnell team. The girls showed grit and fight throughout the match. I also need to shout out the crowd tonight especially the men's soccer team who showed that other team support can make a difference in a contest."
Tayah-Anne Toa was at the center of Warner Pacific's offensive effort throughout the night. She led the Knights with 11 kills and added a service ace and two block assists. Schultz followed with five kills, while Burrows and Carman each contributed three. Rapoza directed the offense with a team-high 13 assists and also made an impact from the service line with three aces.
Defensively, Rapoza finished with 13 digs, while Maya Moreno added 12 and Burrows recorded 10. Johnson contributed four block assists as the Knights totaled 10 block assists as a team.
Bushnell responded in the fourth set and was able to halt the Knights' comeback attempt. Warner Pacific continued competing, including a Burrows service ace and kills from Tayah-Anne Toa and Carman, but the Beacons pulled away to take the final frame 25-9 and secure the 3-1 match victory.
Despite the result, Warner Pacific showed plenty of fight against a Bushnell squad that improved to 7-2 overall and 2-0 in conference play. The Knights' third-set response highlighted their ability to regroup and compete after falling behind, giving WPU something to build on as it moves deeper into the conference schedule.
Next Up
With the loss, Warner Pacific moves to 0-2 overall and 0-1 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play. Warner Pacific will be back in action Saturday late afternoon against fourth ranked Corban University at 4pm at CC Perry Gymnasium.
Â
