ASHLAND, Ore. – A new season is amongst us, as 24 hours removed from earning a national ranking, Jessup was on the court twice in Oregon. Beginning their season in the same setting that saw the 2022 campaign meet its end, Jessup walked away with a split as they start 1-1.
Jessup began their season taking on the No. 20 ranked Raiders of Southern Oregon, the same squad that knocked off Jessup in the 2022 NAIA Opening Round. That match went in favor of SOU via a three-set sweep, but the Warriors bounced back to beat Oregon Tech in five sets later in the afternoon.
On the split, coach
Tiger Shelton noted, "It was good. I wouldn't change it. It was good to play Southern Oregon. They're a very good team. You need to see that so you know where to go. It was a great opportunity, and we didn't play very well, but we learned a lot."
The Warriors were led by
Taylor MacCuish, who tied for a match-leading 10 kills. Sophomore
Carolena Bogdanovich finished behind her with 7.
Eliana Sheridan (8) and
Lauren Toon (7) led defensively in digs.
Jessup produced a .108 attacking percentage in the loss, compared to SOU's .268 showing. The Raiders claimed the first two sets by a 25-18 final before winning the third 25-21. Jessup led late in the third, 18-16, but the Raiders responded with a 9-3 run to close out the victory on their home floor.
It was another lost set to start Jessup's second match, as the Owls of Oregon Tech won the opener 25-21. But then things began to click for the Warriors as they produced their most dominating set of the day, a 25-9 win, to even the match.
Jessup opened the second set by winning eight of the first ten points. They would follow it up with an 11-2 run on the way to match point.
A 25-23 victory ensued in the third, but that was quickly followed by a 25-18 win by the Owls in the fourth to force a decisive fifth set.
After a 7-3 lead for the Warriors to open the fifth, Oregon Tech began to claw back, eventually tying the score at 12-12. A Sheridan kill put the Warriors in a match-point situation, leading 14-13. One point later, an attack error from the Owls sealed the deal on a Jessup win.
Madalyn Miller led the way in kills in this one, closing with 14. MacCuish and Sheridan closed right behind with 13 each. The Warriors also changed up their setting tactics against Oregon Tech as
Alexis Kepa (30), and
Khaycee Jamias-Cadenas (19) provided the bulk of the assists.
Kenzie Carpenter added 22 assists across both matches.
On his newcomers to the roster showing out on opening day, Shelton added, "They did great. They did fantastic. But it took a lot of people to make that happen. It was fun, and we don't know everything we have yet. So we're trying to figure that out as coaches."
Now two games into their season, it's off the longest trip of the year for the Warriors as Jessup prepares to visit Honolulu next week. The Warriors will compete three times in the Magic Island Hawaii Classic, starting with their August 25 match against No. 3 Eastern Oregon.
The Warriors will not make their Warrior Arena debut until September 2 against Stanton.
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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 Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter & Instagram).
