ARCATA, Calif. — The Jessup University women's volleyball team faced a grueling test at Lumberjack Arena during the Redwood Coast Volleyball Classic. Dropping both ends of their Friday doubleheader, the Warriors opened the morning with a 3-0 sweep at the hands of Rollins College before fighting hard in a 3-1 defeat against PacWest opponent Dominican University (CA) later in the afternoon. The pair of losses brings Jessup's overall record to 1-5 on the season.
In the morning match against Rollins, Jessup struggled to generate consistent offense early on, hitting .142 across three sets (23-25, 16-25, 22-25).
Jayden Jones sparked the frontline, recording a team-high 10 kills while hitting .250 alongside 10 digs.
Megan Conway and
August Stys each posted 7 kills, with Stys posting an efficient .545 attack percentage. Libero Lillian Smith anchored the backline with 13 digs, while
Khaycee Jamias-Cadenas and Kjersti Jacobson divided setting duties, combining for 23 assists. Despite keeping the opening and closing sets tightly contested—featuring 10 tie scores and four lead changes overall—Rollins pulled away for the win.
Returning to the floor for the afternoon matchup against Dominican, the Warriors made strong adjustments and displayed resilient execution. After dropping set one 17-25, Jessup bounced back to take set two 25-21, utilizing a game-best .231 hitting percentage.
Jenna Kraft paced the attack with 12 kills and 18 digs to notch a double-double, supported by
Jadyn Hoffman's 6 kills and 11 digs coming off the bench. The setting rotation of Jamias-Cadenas (15 assists) and Jacobson (13 assists) helped guide the squad to 42 total kills. However, Dominican countered with 17 kills from Alexis Schwartz and took control in sets three (25-21) and four (25-20) to secure the victory. Overall, Jessup held an 80-95 differential in digs and logged four total team blocks, but 18 attack errors proved costly down the stretch.
"Doubleheader days at early season tournaments demand a lot physically and mentally, and while the results weren't what we wanted today, I saw valuable growth from our group," said head coach Taylor Jacky. "We made great adjustments between matches to take a set off a tough Dominican squad, and players like
Jayden Jones and
Jenna Kraft stepped up in key moments. We have to work on maintaining our offensive efficiency late in tight sets, but every time we step on the court against high-level competition, we are learning what it takes to win at this level."
The Warriors will look to finish the Redwood Coast Volleyball Classic on a high note as they return to Lumberjack Arena for another scheduled slate, including matchups against the University of Nebraska-Kearney and tournament host Cal Poly Humboldt.
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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).
