PROVO, Utah - Jessup University men's volleyball saw its 2026 season come to a close on Wednesday morning, falling in straight sets to a familiar No. 4 Pepperdine University squad in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Postseason Tournament at Smith Fieldhouse, 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-22).
Wednesday's playoff clash marked the third meeting of the season between the two programs. Jessup previously hosted Pepperdine for a back-to-back homestand at Warrior Arena back in late February, where the Waves managed to escape Rocklin with 3-1 and 3-0 victories. Despite the familiarity and a gritty effort from the Warriors to close the gap, Pepperdine's high-powered offense proved to be the difference-maker once again.
The Waves established their rhythm early in the opening set, hitting a blistering .577 with 16 kills to take the frame 25-19. Jessup tightened up their defensive scheme in the second set, heavily disrupting the Waves and holding them to a much lower .286 hitting percentage. However, Pepperdine still managed to execute late in the frame, pulling away for a 25-21 decision.
In the third and final set, Jessup refused to go down quietly. The Warriors put together their most efficient offensive performance of the morning, swinging .333 with 11 kills and keeping the score tight. They stayed within striking distance until the very end, but Pepperdine's attack pushed through the resistance to clinch the sweep with a 25-22 win.
The Jessup attack was paced by Jan Lopuch and Jonas Mueller, who each tallied a team-high nine kills. Lopuch was an absolute force from the service line, firing off a match-high four aces to go along with two blocks and three digs. Clement Osahon Jr. was highly efficient in the middle, putting down eight kills on a .500 hitting percentage while adding a pair of blocks.
Setter Colin Marks orchestrated the offense with 30 assists and anchored his spot on the floor with four digs. Defensively, Owen Henning paced the back row with a team-high seven digs, followed by Mueller who scooped up six.
The match brings a close to the 2026 campaign for Jessup men's volleyball. Playing in their inaugural year of the fiercely competitive MPSF, the season was marked by hard-fought conference battles against some of the top-ranked programs in the country. The Warriors traveled to Long Beach State and took on the defending NCAA Champions at the Walter Pyramid. Visited the Galen Center for two matches against USC and took a set from BYU at Warrior Arena. It was a year full of monumental meetings, historic battles and showing the nation that the Warriors deserve to be at the biggest stage.
The Warriors will now head into the offseason looking to build upon this year's foundation and prepare for a strong return to the court in 2027.
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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).
