FULLERTON, Calif. – The William Jessup Volleyball left the gloomy fall weather in Rocklin for the sunny blue skies of Southern California for what will be a pair of conference matchups. Unfortunately, the Warriors came up short losing in straight sets to the Hope International Royals, 25-14, 25-22, and 25-15. 

The dreaded injury bug has reared its head as the Warriors have battled with a smaller roster size than anticipated with the team sustaining multiple injuries. Despite the absence of many players, this team has battled hard and head coach Shasta Millhollin recognized this saying, "It has been tough battling through so many injuries. Our team showed a huge amount of fight throughout the match tonight." 

The Warriors dug themselves into a hole early in the first set as they trailed 5-0 out the gate. However, the slow start didn't hinder the team's competitiveness and they battled back, scoring five out of the next six points bringing the score to 5-6 in favor of the Royals. Ultimately, the run was short lived and the Warriors would go on to lose the set 25-14. 

In the second set, the Warriors hit the ground running as they jumped out to a 6-1 advantage. It appeared the Warriors were in control of the set but the Royals made a run of their own, tying it up, 13-13. From then on, the Warriors remained close behind but were unable to regain the lead and lost 25-22. 

Set three was another hard-fought battle and when it appeared the Royals were going to pull away early, the Warriors rallied back bringing the set within two points as they trailed 15-13. The strong push wasn't enough to overcome the deficit and the Warriors lost 25-15 in the final frame.  

Mackenzie Reeder-Esparza led the Warriors in kills with 9 and Vendela Williams had 6 while Laurie Stephan finished with 5. Taylor Jacky and Alex DeMaranville-Robinson had a great game from the service line as each recorded a pair of aces. 

Jacky also closed out the night with a team-high 10 digs and Brianne Whitt had 9 of her own while DeMaranville-Robinson ended with 7. Whitt continued to show a knack for finding her teammates as she led with 14 assists.

Coach Millhollin finished off by saying, "Our plan is to continue to work hard no matter what obstacles are thrown in our path."

The Warriors will be back in action on Saturday to take on Life Pacific College at 1 PM. 
   
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) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat).