ASHLAND, Ore— The Warriors began the second day of the Raider Invitational with a matchup against Oregon Tech. Jessup held the momentum after two sets but was unable to close out the Owls losing in five sets, 25-22, 26-24, 23-25, 20-25, and 4-15.
It was the Owls who jumped out to a quick lead in set one as they led 6-1, however, the Warriors ripped off five consecutive points to tie the set, 6-6. After another tie at 7 apiece, Jessup would again go on a scoring spree and jumped out in front 12-7. A late comeback attempt by the Owls would get the set within one point as the Warriors led 18-17 but ultimately Jessup would hang on to wrap things up, winning 25-22.
The Warriors came storming out of the gate in the second set as they quickly held a 4-0 lead. After a resilient comeback by OIT, it was the Warriors who were able to regain the lead down the stretch as they won in extra points, 26-24.
Sets three and four were close contests as well but the Warriors were not able to finish it off as they lost 23-25 in set three and 20-25 in set four. As the game headed to a decisive fifth set, the Owls surrendered the first point but quickly gained the lead and never looked back. Jessup went on to lose the set 4-15, ending the match.
In the Warriors' second matchup of the day, they would take on the No. 6 ranked team in the country as they faced the tournament host Southern Oregon University Raiders. Jessup gave the national powerhouse a scare but ultimately lost in four sets, 23-25, 19-25, 25-19, and 20-25.
The Warriors put up a strong fight throughout the game and late in the first set Jessup started to pull away as they led 18-13. However, after a Southern Oregon timeout, the Raiders rallied back to claim the first set.
During the second set, the Warriors played catch up from the start as they never held the lead. The third set was a different story and the Warriors started trailing 2-3 but scored 7 unanswered points to lead 9-3. The Warriors led by as much as nine during the set as they went on to win 25-19. Unfortunately, after their set three win, the Warriors couldn't push the game to a final set as they lost the fourth 20-25.
Even though the losses were tough, head coach Tiger Shelton viewed these games as a "stepping stone" for what's next. Coach Shelton said, "We are a confident bunch and we know what we need to do."
Taylor Jacky and Vendela Williams led the Warriors on the day with 25 and 24 kills respectively. Jacky also led her squad with 7 aces and Brianne Whitt had 6 of her own. Jessica Williams had a team-high in assists with 52 and Whitt tallied 40. Kacey Berger finished with 36 digs and Jacky ended with 28.
The Warriors will return home for their annual WJU Invitational tournament starting on August 30 at 9 am against UC Merced.
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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).
