ROCKLIN, Calif. – A four-match losing skid did not reach five, thanks in large part to a hot finish in set five of Saturday's battle with the Concordia Eagles. Led by
Madalyn Miller's 20-kill performance, the Warriors are back in the win column with the 3-2 victory.
"It wasn't the cleanest performance today, but we will take any home win in the PacWest," said head coach
Kyle Steele after the match.
The Warriors dropped Saturday's first set 25-9, and things seemed bleak, bringing back memories of Thursday's 25-7 third set loss to Point Loma. But Jessup responded, winning the second set 25-17, followed by a 25-22 victory in the third.
Steele spoke on the resiliency, adding, "To go down like we did at the end of the first set and fight back shows incredible grit."
Set four would set a deadlock of 22-22 on the scoreboard, but a 3-0 run by the Golden Eagles pushed the match to the fifth. That late momentum seemed to carry over as CUI opened the final set with a 4-1 advantage.
The two teams changed sides, with Concordia leading the match 8-6. With the CUI lead eventually reaching 12-10, a service error gave service back to Jessup, sending
Neena Dimas to the line. Four consecutive points followed, two being Miller kills, including the final point as Jessup grabbed victory with a 15-12 final.
Miller's 20 kills are the second most she has put up this season, trailing only the 22 she totaled against Stanislaus State on September 14.
The Warriors also saw offensive production from
Eliana Sheridan, who provided 12 kills and 16 digs, along with
Taylor MacCuish, who finished with ten kills and 14 digs.
Kenzie Carpenter had eight digs, but it was her work up front that got her singled out afterward by her head coach.
"Kenzie did a great job to get us back on the right track today," said Steele. The setter had 35 assists and two block assists.
Saturday's match brings to an end five straight home matches for the Warriors, which followed a nine-match road trip to open the season. Jessup will now hit the road for six straight, beginning on October 19 when they visit Dominican.
"Nothing is easy in this league," said Steele on the upcoming schedule. "But hopefully we can get the ball rolling with the win today."
The road trip will see stops in San Francisco and Fresno as well before Jessup makes the trip west for three matches in Hawaii. The Warriors will be back home on November 9.
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Jessup University is a provisional member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II and the PacWest Conference. 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 (Instagram & X).
