COSTA MESA, Calif. – Friday's victory against the Vanguard Lions was possibly the most exciting match of the 2025 season, and Saturday almost one-upped it. With the Warriors forcing a fifth set once again, a second reverse sweep came up just short, as this time, the Lions were the winners of a 3-2 final.
The Warriors are now 11-7 on the season with Saturday afternoon's loss.
Jessup got off to a slow start, dropping set one 25-14 and following it with a 25-21 defeat in the second. Down 2-0 for the second day in a row, Jessup forced a fourth set with a 25-21 win of their own in the third.
Set four was the closest of them all to that point, as the two teams traded point-for-point from start to finish. Jessup forced set point with a 24-23 lead but Vanguard countered with two straight to give them match point at 25-24. A
Carter Depue kill extended the match once again as Jessup scored three straight with an
Owen Henning kill and a
Taylor Marks ace, bringing a 27-25 finish and forcing the fifth set.
The fifth set was one of runs as Vanguard first went on a 5-1 run to take a 6-2 lead. Jessup responded with a 5-1 run of their own to pull ahead 9-8. Jessup kept the momentum rolling, hitting match point at 14-12, but the Lions fought back, winning four straight to take a 16-14 win and ending the match.
Jan Lopuch led the Warriors' attack for the second day in a row, finishing with 19 kills. Depue was behind him with 13.
The Warriors will wrap up the regular season next weekend when they travel to Malibu for back-to-back games against Pepperdine.
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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).
