HONOLULU, Hawaii – Fans on the mainland who tuned in for both of Jessup's matches on Friday were in for a late-night, as day one of the Magic Island Hawaii Classic wrapped up in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Beginning with a top-25 clash and ending with a five-set thriller, Jessup enters Saturday with a split to start the trip.
The Warriors embarked for Hawaii on Wednesday, bringing bags of supplies to help those affected by the Maui fires. Jessup's student-athletes and coaches worked throughout the last week to accept donations to bring with them to support an area devastated over the previous month.
If you want to donate to the Maui wildfire relief, click
HERE.
Jessup's trip to Hawaii was especially important to one student-athlete, junior
Alexis Kepa. The Oahu native got to play in front of a hometown crowd for the first time with the Warriors, as her hometown of Kapolei is just 20 miles from the HPU Shark Tank in Honolulu.
The day started with a matchup of two top-25 programs, as the No. 25 Warriors squared off with the No. 3 ranked Mountaineers of Eastern Oregon. Through two sets, the match was even as Jessup dominated their way to a 25-12 win in the second, but EOU would take the next two to claim the match 3-1.
"It's been a rough trip, but a good trip," said head coach
Tiger Shelton. "The girls are learning and getting better every day. We're finding things that work."
Kepa recorded 18 assists and 12 digs in her homecoming. She was one of two Warriors to register a double-double, as
Madalyn Miller totaled 10 kills and 12 digs in the loss.
Lauren Toon led the Warriors defensively with 20 digs.
The Warriors totaled 5 blocks against the Mountaineers, three coming from
Sadie White. Miller and
Delaina Hunt both registered two block assists. Eastern Oregon dominated the net play, however, closing the four-set victory with 15 blocks. Mylie Mills led the charge with nine.
Friday's opener began at 11 a.m. in Honolulu, 2 p.m. back in Rocklin. It would be some time until Jessup returned to the court, though, as the finale of Friday's action against Embry-Riddle was scheduled to begin at 11 p.m. back home in California.
Jessup jumped to an early lead in the nightcap, claiming the first set 25-21. But the Eagles clawed back, winning sets two and three to give them a 2-1 lead entering the fourth. An 11-6 lead for the Warriors put Jessup in a good spot early to force a fifth set, but the Eagles mounted another comeback, eventually taking a 24-20 lead to force match point.
With their backs against the wall, Jessup came out swinging, winning four straight points to keep the match alive. Ultimately, an 8-2 run saw the Warriors win the set, forcing a winner-take-all fifth.
The momentum carried into the fifth, with Jessup reaching match point with a 14-10 lead. But like set four, a four-point lead was lost as Embry-Riddle battled back to even the score. Jessup would not be denied, however, as
Eliana Sheridan's kill sealed the set 19-17, winning the match for Jessup.
On the Warriors' comeback, Shelton added, "Winning this match in the fifth set after being down by so much and coming back to win showed a lot of grit and determination. I am very impressed."
Sheridan led the Warriors with 14 kills, one more than Miller, who closed with 13. White and
Taylor MacCuish each added eight. Freshman
Khaycee Jamias-Cadenas closed the night with 25 assists and 17 digs.
Shelton also singled out one player,
Carolena Bogdanovich, who stood out in the win. "I'm very proud of Carolena. She had a phenomenal game and just kept the energy going all the time. But in reality this definitely took a village to win this game. Every person on the team from the bench, to the coaching staff, and especially the girls on the court. They all did an amazing job."
The Warriors will return to action tomorrow as they take on Bryan College of Tennessee. This first-time meeting is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in Hawaii or 4:30 p.m. PST. After that, Jessup will return to the mainland with sights set on the first two home matches of the season.
Jessup will host Stanton University on September 2, followed by UC Merced on September 5. Tickets for both matches can be purchased
HERE.
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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).
