ROCKLIN, Calif. – Riding the momentum that was a five-set victory over Oregon Tech yesterday, the Warriors closed out the William Jessup Invitational with another thriller against No. 21 Southern Oregon. Again needing five sets, a great day by a new Warrior was not enough as the Raiders took the match 3-2.
 
After the match, head coach Tiger Shelton shared his thoughts, noting how games like this will get his team where he wants them. "Everything is a stepping stone for us to get better before GSAC play," said Shelton. He continued with, "This is exactly what that was. We played a great team and took them all the way to five sets."
 
Once again, Jessup came out with a terrific start to the match. The Warriors took an early lead in set one going up 5-1 forcing an SOU timeout. The Warriors later went on another scoring run extending the lead to 15-7. However, the momentum was too much for SOU, and Jessup hung on to win the set 25-20.
 
A slow start to the second set hindered the Warriors from completing a comeback bid losing 22-25, but they came out ready in the third set, again taking a 5-1 lead as they did previously. SOU battled back, coming with one point, but Jessup was able to distance themselves to the tune of a 25-20 set win.
 
The fourth set was tied at three different times early on, but then the Raiders got out to a lead that the Warriors could not overcome, as Jessup lost 25-17. Riding their hot play to end set four, the Raiders jumped outscoring four unanswered points. The Warriors put up a fight but came up short in set five, 15-6.
 
Taylor Dilley got her name in the record books with her 20-kill performance, second-most in a five-set match in program history. Dilley and the rest of the offense were catapulted by the 27-assist performance by Mallory Pazin, as she also logged nine digs. Lauren Toon turned in another great game as she led the team with 23 digs while Mary Padilla had 14.
 
Shelton is eager for what lies ahead as the Warriors will have a trip to Sioux City, Iowa, where they will first see No. 8 Northwestern College. "We played really great today, and I am excited to see that continue as we head on the road to play more talented teams to get us better!"
 
The two-day tournament in Iowa will feature the most challenging stretch of games for the Warriors all season, as all four opponents are currently receiving national votes.
   
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).