SANTEE, Calif. – With two matches remaining on the schedule Jessup (3-10, 1-8) headed to Southern California to face off with the Hawks of San Diego Christian College (10-6, 6-3). Unfortunately for the Warriors, they could not find a sense of consistency, and they lost in straight sets, 25-18, 25-13, and 25-21.
 
Head coach Tiger Shelton gave his thoughts after the game, noting he wasn't thrilled with how things began, stating, "We had strong moments but got off to a really weak start." Shelton added, "We had our moments where we started playing a lot better, but it wasn't enough. We just didn't play at the level we need to."
 
Initially, in the opening set, each team was locked in, and things remained close. Cloe Gunter delivered a strong kill, and the Warriors then benefited from an attack error by the Hawks to take a 7-5 lead. However, the Hawks made a strong push to take the lead themselves, 10-8. From that point on, the Warriors continued to fight until the end but could not regain the lead as they lost the set, 25-18.
 
Down by four points at the beginning stages of the second set, the Warriors battled back, and Gunter again logged a kill, bringing the Warriors within one point, 7-6. Moments later, Taylor MacCuish leaped up, smashing the ball on the other side, and the set was tied at 10-10. Upon breaking the tie, the Hawks never relinquished the lead and won 25-13.
 
Set three opened up with the Warriors forced to call a timeout as they trailed 8-0 in the early going. Out of the timeout, Jessup was on a mission as they scored nine of the following e11 points, thrashing the deficit to just one, 10-9. Once again, though, the Hawks stayed the course and extended the lead back out to seven with the score at 18-11.
 
The Warriors had their work cut out for them, and they began to inch closer to a comeback. A pair of service aces from Jasmin Pinon gave the Warriors momentum down 20-15. Preslee Nunez and Gunter teamed up for a crucial block that trimmed the Hawks' lead down to two, 23-21. Despite the strong finish to the third set, it wasn't enough to overcome the Hawks, and the Warriors lost 25-21.
 
MacCuish led the team with eight kills, and Mallory Pazin was tops in assists with 10. On defense, Madison Marlow finished with ten digs, with the team posted ten blocks led by Gunter's four. Pinon ended with three aces at the service line, while Botagoz Joslin and MacCuish each had a pair.
 
The Warriors and Hawks will conclude their 2021 season with one more bout scheduled for tomorrow at 1 p.m., and that game can be live-streamed HERE.
   
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 and Instagram).