ASHLAND, Ore. – The best season in Jessup Volleyball history met its end Saturday night in dramatic fashion. Making the first NAIA Opening Round appearance in program history, Jessup forced set five, and sat on match point, twice, before falling to the Southern Oregon Raiders, 3-2.
 
An emotional Tiger Shelton spoke after the match, expressing pride in the season that had just met its swan song. "I'm extremely proud. I'm hurt. I'm hurt right now. But when I have the time to relax a little bit and look back on the team that was, I'll always have incredible memories of who they were as a team."
 
Shelton's mantra all season has been "never say die". The Warriors showcased that on Saturday, climbing back from a two sets to one deficit, and a 9-6 hole in the fifth set, to move inches away from advancing to the NAIA Final Site in Sioux City, Iowa.
 
At the start, things looked bleak, as the Raiders jumped out to a 5-1 lead. But the Warriors never panic in this spot. In fact, the climbed back from a 4-0 hole one week ago in set one against Westmont.
 
Jessup turned on the jets, piecing together a 13-6 run at the end of the first set to win 25-20, giving them a 1-0 lead.
 
The Warriors continued to fight in set two, leading 20-18, five points away from a two-set lead. But the Raiders showed fight of their own, scoring nine of the next 14 to take the set, 27-25, evening things at one.
 
Southern Oregon kept their foot on the gas, ending the third on a 7-1 run to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
But the Warriors again fought back. Jessup dominated their way to a 22-14 lead in set four. Momentum was comfortably on the side of the Warriors, but SOU would not let Jessup extend the match without a fight. Five straight points for the Raiders got SOU within three, and before anyone knew it, the Warriors' lead was just one, 24-23. Needing just one point, Madalyn Miller stepped up with a kill to extend the match.
 
The fifth set would again be a battle, but Jessup looked ready for the fight. Scoring six of seven, Jessup took a 12-10 lead, forcing an SOU timeout. Out of the stoppage, the Warriors pushed the lead to 14-12, sending Marina Gonzalez to the service line for match point. Again at 15-14, Jessup had match point, sending Lauren Toon to the line this time.
 
With each match point, SOU had a counter. Eventually, SOU won the fight, as a net violation negated a point for Jessup, giving SOU a 17-15 victory.
 
Gonzalez led the Warriors with 16 kills in her final match. Mata Iupeli was right behind her with 14. Miller totaled nine kills, with Taylor Tarble adding eight.
 
Defensively, Madison Marlow's 18 digs led Jessup. Marlow came up clutch several times with key digs to keep plays alive.
 
Shelton spoke about Marlow, adding, "She was outstanding in the last three games. She just played consistent. She served. She dug everything. She was reading balls. She was making plays. She was amazing, and she kept us in a lot of the game."
 
"She has come so far since being a freshman," Shelton continued on Marlow. "It's ridiculous how far she's come. I can't say enough about her and what she's done this year."
 
Jessup now heads home, while Southern Oregon advances to Iowa for the NAIA Final Site. Shelton knows his team has a chance to get better, and added that they proved they belong in this situation.
 
"They've done a great job," said Shelton. "They listened. They learn. We got better. We deserve to be in the gym with (Southern Oregon)."
 
The countdown to the 2023 season officially starts now.  
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).