FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Jessup University men's volleyball team reached a historic milestone on Monday evening, securing their first victory of the 2026 season and the program's first-ever win over a Division I opponent. In a clean sweep, the Warriors took down Sacred Heart University inside the William H. Pitt Center, 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-18).
The victory marks a significant breakthrough for Head Coach Kyle Steele's squad, who entered the match looking to find their footing after a challenging start to their inaugural MPSF campaign.
"Very happy to get our program's first Division I win tonight," said Head Coach Kyle Steele. "We played much better on defense and stayed steady serving all night. Looking forward to one more tomorrow night and then back home to get in front of our fans in our place."
Jessup's defense was the story of the night, as they out-blocked the Pioneers 21-9. Clement Osahon Jr. was a force at the net, tallying a match-high seven blocks to go along with three kills and an ace. The back-row defense was anchored by Logan Marks, who finished with seven digs, while Jan Lopuch and Jacob Knudsen added six apiece.
Offensively, the Warriors displayed a balanced and efficient attack. Jan Lopuch and Carter Depue led the way with 10 kills each. Lopuch also added three assists and an ace to his stat line. Owen Henning contributed five kills on an efficient .444 hitting percentage, while Knudsen added three kills of his own.
Setter Colin Marks orchestrated the offense brilliantly, recording 28 assists and keeping the Pioneers' defense off-balance throughout the night. Marks was also lethal from the service line, leading the team with three aces, and contributed five blocks defensively.
The Warriors showed great composure in the close moments, particularly in the second set. After a back-and-forth battle, Jessup used their defensive prowess and "steady serving" to pull away and take a 2-0 lead, eventually closing the door with a dominant third set capped off by a Jan Lopuch ace.
Jessup will look to sweep the two-game series tomorrow night in Fairfield, CT with a 5:00 PM start time. Following their East Coast trip, the team will travel back home to Northern California for their first MPSF matchup at Stanford on February 6th.
