ROCKLIN, Calif. - On day two of the William Jessup Invitational, the Warriors took the floor and left victorious after a five-set thriller against the Oregon Tech Owls. The is the first win of the year for Jessup, putting their record at 1-1 on the young season.

Head coach Tiger Shelton was very proud of the fight his team showed today. "The fact they didn't lose heart today was huge." He went on to say, "We are a very good passing team, and Lauren stepped in and played great. That allowed us to run our offense well the whole match."

Opening the match, the Warriors came out swinging. Chloe Gunter converted on her attack upon receiving a pass from Alyssa Bartlett, putting the Warriors up 8-2. 

Once the Warriors were steadily in the lead, they continued to play effectively, with Taylor Dilley putting the finishing touches on the set. Jessup was victorious 25-19 in the opening frame.
 
Building off their set one win, the Warriors carried that momentum into set two as they led 6-2 out of the gate. The quick start to the set helped Jessup fend off a late rally as the Warriors led wire to wire, winning 25-19.
 
Things began to get away from Jessup in the third set, and they lost 25-16. Then in set four, the Warriors took a late 17-12 lead after an ace from Mallory Pazin. However, the Owls came soaring back to extend the match to a fifth set, with Jessup losing 24-26.
 
The Warriors stayed mentally tough and dug deep in the fifth set. Jessup took a 9-5 lead, but again the Owls kept things close. Ultimately Jessup was able to come out on top as they claimed the final three points of the set to win, 15-10.
 
Taylor Dilley led the way with 15 kills, Mary Padilla had 11, and Chloe Gunter ended with 10. Mallory Pazin was lights out from the service line with six service aces and was tops in assists with 22. Nunez was strong in the middle with four blocks, while Padilla led with ten digs.
 
Shelton ended by saying, "We are very young, and it's still early in the season, and we're still not in midseason form. These girls stayed resilient all match long, and they refused to lose in their own gym. They kept playing tough even when it got to the fifth set."
 
Next up, Jessup will host No. 21 Southern Oregon on Saturday at 9 am inside Warrior Arena.
   
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).