HILO, Hawaii – It was worth the wait to see the Warriors play on Wednesday, as the time change meant fans on the mainland would have to stay up past 10 p.m. to see the beginning. After dropping the first set, the Warriors kicked things into a different gear as they avenged an earlier loss to the Hawaii Hilo Vulcans by taking down UHH 3-2 to start a week in Hawaii.
Jessup, who are now winners of five consecutive, have improved their PacWest record to 6-5, giving them a positive winning percentage for the first time this season.
The start of the road trip was not exactly how head coach
Kyle Steele and his squad envisioned. Perhaps still adapting to the time change, Jessup dropped the opening set 25-15 to go down one.
But then the Warriors snapped back, grabbing the second set 25-22 to even the match before a 25-19 victory in the third had the Warriors leading 2-1.
A quick ending was not to be had, however, as after dropping two straight sets, the Vulcans responded with a 25-11 victory in the fourth to push the match to a fifth set. It marked the eighth time in 18 matches for the Warriors to see their bout hit the fifth.
Jessup brushed off their fourth set loss by opening the fifth with a 5-2 run, forcing an early Hilo timeout. The Vulcans responded with a 6-2 run out of the stoppage, giving Hilo an 8-7 lead as the two teams swapped sides of the court. From that point on, there was no stopping the Warriors, as they went on to take the set 15-11, securing match point with an
Eliana Sheridan kill.
Sheridan led the way with 14 kills, adding 11 digs for another double-double performance.
Madalyn Miller contributed 13 kills, while
Taylor MacCuish finished in double-figures once again with 11.
Kenzie Carpenter did the bulk of the setting, as the senior finished the night with 35 assists and 12 digs.
Neena Dimas led defensively with 20 digs. The Warriors also had six blocks.
The week in Hawaii transitions away from the Big Island, as Jessup will jump to Oahu for their next two matches. Jessup will see Chaminade next, a team ranked No. 7 in the latest AVCA Coaches' Poll, before heading to Hawaii Pacific.
Friday's meeting with the Silverswords is also slated for 10 p.m. (PST).
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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).
