ROCKLIN, Calif. – Nine straight on the road to start the season created quite the anticipation for Thursday's home opener, as the Warriors finally made their first appearance inside Warrior Arena. In front of a packed house, the Warriors were a set away from victory, but FPU finished strong to take the 3-2 victory.
Jessup is now .500 on the season and on the week, and they picked up a five-set win last night in Atherton. They are now 1-2 in PacWest play.
It was a combined offensive performance by the Warriors, as three players contributed double-digit kills.
Madalyn Miller led the way once again as she finished with 15. Behind her were
Eliana Sheridan and
Paulina Harris, each of whom added ten.
The crowd of over 300 Jessup fans were treated to an exciting match, starting with the first set, as 25 points weren't enough to decide a winner. FPU took the opener 28-26, but then the home fans got what they wanted with a 25-17 victory by Jessup in the second.
Head coach
Kyle Steele praised the crowd after the match, noting, "That's the best home crowd I've coached in front of in the last ten years. Ten out of ten, that environment was awesome."
The Warriors gave the home crowd more to cheer for in the third as a 26-24 victory put them a set away from victory.
FPU bounced back in the fourth set due in large part to a 5-0 run at the midpoint. The Warriors had little to combat the FPU attack as the Sunbirds evened the match with a 25-17 victory. They then carried that momentum into the fifth as a 15-10 final game them the match.
Head coach
Kyle Steele spoke about the ebb-and-flow of his team after the match, adding, "We need to be able to emotionally regulate better. Games are filled with highs and lows, but right now, our highs are too high, and when we get low, we start to snowball."
Thursday was Jessup's fifth match to reach the fifth set. They are 2-3 in those matches.
Now that the road trip is over, Jessup will treat their fans to a homestand, as three straight inside Warrior Arena awaits. Next will be a visit from Chaminade on October 3, followed by a visit from Hawaii Hilo on October 5.
Tickets for the match against Chaminade are on sale
HERE.
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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).
