NEWARK, NJ – The Warriors opened their East Coast road trip on Friday, dropping a tightly contested four-set match to NJIT (23-25, 22-25, 25-16, 18-25) at the Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness & Events Center.
Despite out-killing the Highlanders 55-45 and winning the battle at the net, the Warriors were plagued by 19 service errors that allowed NJIT to maintain control in critical moments.
The match began with a back-and-forth opening frame that saw 11 ties and two lead changes. Jessup kept pace through the mid-set, but a late surge by the Highlanders secured the 25-23 win for the home team. The second set followed a similar script, with the Warriors hitting an impressive .419 as a team, yet falling just short in a 25-22 decision.
Facing a sweep, Jessup found its rhythm in the third set. The Warriors' defense stifled the Highlanders, holding them to a .069 hitting percentage while forcing seven attack errors. Jan Lopuch and Jonas Mueller led the charge, helping Jessup cruise to a 25-16 victory to extend the match. However, NJIT regained its form in the fourth, hitting .417 in the final frame to close out the victory.
Jan Lopuch led all players with a match-high 19 kills and contributed five digs. Carter Depue also reached double digits with 11 kills, while Jonas Mueller added 10 kills and four digs. Clement Osahon Jr. anchored the defense at the net, recording a match-high six blocks to help Jessup out-block NJIT 7.5 to 5.0. Colin Marks orchestrated the offense with 45 assists and led the team defensively with 10 digs.
The Warriors will look to bounce back and earn a split of the weekend series when they face NJIT again tomorrow. First serve is scheduled for 1:00 PM PST.
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About Jessup Athletics Jessup University is a 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).
