LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Jessup pushed the University of Southern California to the brink in the opening frame but ultimately fell to the Trojans in straight sets  on Saturday evening, 3-0 (25-27, 16-25, 16-25). 

The story of the match was the marathon first set. Jessup came out swinging, trading blows with the Trojans and forcing the frame into extra points. The Warriors pushed USC to the absolute limit before the home team narrowly escaped with a 27-25 victory. Jessup hit .212 in the opening set and put down 13 kills, setting a highly competitive tone early on.

However, USC regrouped and found another gear in the ensuing sets. The Trojans' offense clicked into high efficiency, hitting .500 in the second set and .545 in the third. Jessup battled but couldn't keep pace with the surging Trojans, dropping the final two frames 16-25.

Several Warriors delivered standout performances despite the sweep. Jan Lopuch paced the Jessup attack, putting down a team-high 11 kills and adding the team's only service ace. Jonas Müller followed closely behind with nine kills and recorded five digs, while Jacob Knudsen contributed significantly with eight kills and tied for the team lead with two blocks.

Orchestrating the offense, setter Colin Marks dished out 28 assists and chipped in six digs. Defensively, libero Logan Marks anchored the backline with a team-high seven digs. Clement Osahon Jr. and Owen Henning were also active at the net, adding a pair of blocks each.

Jessup showed marked improvement on the attack compared to the night prior, hitting .256 for the match with 35 total kills. However, USC's offensive firepower ultimately overwhelmed the Warriors. Despite an improved offensive performance from Friday night's matchup, the Warriors drop to 6-12 overall and 0-6 in MPSF play.

The Warriors will return home to look for a bounce-back win as they host Vanguard University on Friday, March 27, at 7:00 PM.