ROCKLIN, Calif. – On the final day of the William Jessup Invitational, Jessup was back in action, taking on their second opponent this week who is receiving national votes. Looking to take down (RV) Bushnell, Jessup started hot, but once the Beacons found their rhythm, it ended in a three-set sweep for the visiting side.
 
After the match, head coach Tiger Shelton addressed the performance in the locker room. "We're still a new team trying to put things together, and how do you deal with that? That was the question when I walked into the locker room. You know, we're either gonna walk out of this room splintered, or we're gonna walk out of this room together as a team, and that is what we did."
 
Saturday's opening set started with a back-and-forth battle, with the two teams sitting deadlocked at nine. Three consecutive Jessup points had the Warriors leading by two, but here came the Beacons, charging back to take an 18-14 lead. Bushnell would hold on to take the opening set, 25-18.
 
Bushnell charged ahead in set two, taking a 10-5 lead on a block by Makenna Northern and Payton Jones. Things seemed bleak as the Beacons spun that into an 8-3 run and an eight-point lead.
 
Jessup looked to be making a run late in the second set, scoring five in a 5-2 run, but it came too late with the run ending on set point. An attack error by the Warriors gave Bushnell the set, 25-19, and a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
During this second set, Jessup saw production come from their underclassmen as freshman Paulina Harris recorded three kills in the set.
 
On to the third set, needing to win the next three for a victory, the match followed the same pattern as the two sets before as Bushnell took a 19-12 lead. But then a momentum swing began, as Jessup scored five of the following seven points to close within four.
 
With the Beacons' lead now just 21-17, a service error by the Warriors returned the serve to Bushnell, setting up a run that ended with the final point of the match, with Bushnell winning 25-17.
 
The Warriors were led in the kill column by Marina Gonzalez, who totaled nine in the Saturday morning matchup. Madalyn Miller and Mata Iupeli also contributed six and four kills, respectively.
 
Bushnell hit .276 in the match and was led by Jessica Northcutt, who totaled ten kills. Northcutt also set up her team with ten digs. Callie Wilkins added 13 digs. The Warriors managed only to hit .082 Saturday.
 
Shelton noted that Jessup needs to be better at passing, adding, "We did not pass well, and we will have to work on that primarily. Serving and passing, we work on that every day, all the time."
 
It was a busy weekend for the Warriors, starting with a win over No. 19 ranked Oregon Tech. Jessup also took down Chico State, making for a 2-1 weekend in the William Jessup Invitational.
 
"We played really well against the two other teams we played this weekend," added Shelton. "We know we can beat (Bushnell) if we play our game. Today was not the same team you saw on Thursday. I take as much blame for today as the team does, but we will come back fired up."
 
For Jessup, they will have some time to prepare before hitting the court next, which will be on Thursday when Simpson University comes to town. The match against the Red Hawks is set for 7 p.m., and tickets can be purchased 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 & Instagram).