ROCKLIN, Calif. — Jessup pushed Vanguard University to the absolute limit in a grueling five-set battle but ultimately fell to the Lions on Friday evening, 3-2 (25-21, 23-25, 14-25, 25-23, 13-15).

The story of the match was the Warriors' resilience. Jessup came out swinging on their home court, taking the opening set 25-21 behind a highly efficient .348 hitting percentage. The Warriors set a competitive tone early on, but Vanguard regrouped and found another gear in the ensuing sets. The visitors edged out a tight 25-23 victory in the second frame before their offense clicked into high gear to take the third set 25-14.

Facing a 2-1 match deficit, the Warriors refused to back down in the fourth. Trailing 23-22 and on the brink of defeat, Jessup capitalized on a Vanguard service error and mounted a thrilling 3-0 run. Back-to-back clutch blocks from Colin Marks, Clement Osahon Jr., and Jacob Knudsen sealed the 25-23 set victory for Jessup, forcing a decisive fifth frame. The two squads traded heavy blows in the race to 15, but Vanguard's offense hit a .667 in the final set to narrowly escape with a 15-13 victory.

Several Warriors delivered standout performances despite the heartbreaking loss. Clement Osahon Jr. paced the Jessup attack, putting down a team-high 16 kills while adding three blocks. Jonas Müller followed closely behind with 15 kills and inflicted heavy damage from the service line with a team-high three aces.

Orchestrating the offense, setter Colin Marks dished out a match-high 32 assists. Marks was also a defensive standout, recording a team-high 10 digs and contributing three blocks at the net. Defensively, libero Logan Marks anchored the backline with eight digs, while Jan Lopuch chipped in with four kills, six digs, and three blocks.

Head Coach Kyle Steele spoke after the game, "I was proud of our fight in sets four and five." He continued, "We just need to regroup quickly and get ready for tomorrow." With the loss, the Warriors drop to 6-13 overall and 0-7 in MPSF play.

The Warriors will remain home and look for a bounce-back in a quick rematch with Vanguard on Saturday, March 28th. First serve will be at 2:00 PM. 

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About Jessup University 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).