PHOENIX, Ariz. - Closing out the first round of conference play, the Warriors went out fighting in their fourth fifth-set battle of the season, coming out on top over Arizona Christian on the road.
"Tonight was an all around team effort with contributions from everyone. We've been traveling since Wednesday which can be very distracting for a team," head coach Shasta Millhollin commented. "We knew we needed to bounce back and get a victory here in Phoenix."Â
This is the Warrior's second win when going the distance, last against The Master's University, coupled with dropping two so far this season against Hope International and most recently Vanguard.
It was a strong start for Jessup taking the first two sets over the Firestorm before they returned with back-to-back sets to push it to the deciding game.
Leading forces for the Warriors were freshman Taylor Jacky with a season and career-high 15 kills, followed by sophomore Makenzie Reeder-Esparza with 12 kills and freshman Vendela Williams was close behind collecting 10.
Reeder-Esparza opened the final set with a kill and not too long after finished the match with a pair of attacks to seal the deal for the Warriors, 15-13.
"Arizona Christian is a well coached team and they put up an incredible fight, but we were determined to get the win," Millhollin said. "We are looking forward to coming back to Warrior Arena and battling it out for our tenth win against UC Santa Cruz."
The Warriors will travel home and compete on Wednesday, Oct. 12 against visiting UC Santa Cruz, before heading back to conference action on the road Oct. 14 against Westmont.
***
William Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on William Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: William Jessup University Athletics (Facebook), @WJUSports (Twitter), and @JessupAthletics (Instagram, and Snapchat).
Â
