SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Jessup Volleyball started off their road trip to Iowa with some stout competition and played well lost both matches on day one. The two losses put the Warriors record at 1-4.
 
Head coach Tiger Shelton highlighted the superb talent they are seeing in Iowa, saying, "It is really hard to come out here and play some of the best teams in the country. But that is what we like cause it makes us better."
 
The Warriors matched up with the No. 8 Raiders of Northwestern College and put up a strong fight despite losing in straight sets. In set one, Jessup faced an uphill climb as they trailed by ten late in the action, 22-12. Not willing to give in, the Warriors rallied back, scoring eight of the following ten points, but the run fizzled out, and Jessup lost 25-20.
 
From the onset of the second frame, the Warriors were playing from behind. Taylor Dilley and Madalyn Miller then notched a pair of kills in sequence, tying things up at nine apiece. However, from that point on, after the Raiders retook the lead and Jessup was unable to overcome the deficit, losing 25-19.
 
After battling their way through the beginning of the third set, Mary Padilla notched a pair of kills to put Jessup on top 10-7, forcing a Raiders timeout. After the timeout, momentum shifted, and the set went on to be tied at two different points. However, Jessup couldn't extend the match to a fourth set, losing a narrow one 25-21.
 
Set one of match two was as close as it gets. Not only did the action drift into extra points, but it endured fourteen ties. Unfortunately, although it was another great display of volleyball, Jessup was on the wrong side of this close affair, losing 26-24.
 
After a back-and-forth start, Jessup fell behind in set two and never got on track, losing 25-14. The Warriors fell behind in set three, but each time Evangel made a run, the Warriors were on their tail.
 
Trailing 17-12, Evangel seemed primed to pull away, but the Warriors came roaring back. In the final moments, Evangel held a slim 24-22 advantage. But, after a Dilley kill got Jessup within one point, Evangel had the final say, with the Warriors losing 25-22.
 
Shelton went on to say, "We start off with one of the top-three teams in the nation tomorrow, and we are looking forward to continuing to play great teams to make us better for our own conference." Shelton added, "I liked the grit we showed today as we never gave up. It made us a stronger team."
 
Overall on the day, Dilley led the Warriors with 23 kills, Padilla had 17, and Gunter ended with 14. Mallory Pazin led the offense with a combined 35 assists, and Ella Hartford had 19. Lauren Toon had three service aces, and Padilla added a pair herself. Toon was also tops in digs with a total of 29, and Dilley closed her day out with 26.
 
Jessup Volleyball will stay in Iowa for day two of the Pre-National Unified Sports Academy Labor Day Classic as they are set to face No. 3 Midland University tomorrow at 9 am and No. 21 Grand View University at 3 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 and Instagram).