Posted: Sep 16, 2022

Warriors Take Sole Possession of GSAC Lead With Win Over Jessup

Rocklin, CA – On Friday evening, the Warriors traveled to Rocklin to face off against GSAC opponent, William Jessup. This match featured the two GSAC teams that were 2-0 through the first week of conference play. In a back and forth match, the match would need to be decided in the fifth set, with LPU ultimately taking the final set 15-13 and the match 3-2 (23-25, 25-18, 25-21, 24-26, 15-13). With the win, the Warriors improve to 6-0 on the season and 3-0 in GSAC play.

Both Warrior teams came out to play in the first set looking to secure their third straight win. A back and forth first set was what it looked like. A scoring run from both teams sparked the intensity of the game but unfortunately, Life Pacific came up short with a 25-23 loss in the first set. LPU keyed in on a bounce back set in the second set, to help maintain the momentum of the match.

LPU was the aggressor in the second set which was fueled by a service run by Emma McMillan, which propelled the Warriors to a 17-13 lead. Ultimately, LPU was able to put Jessup away in the second set, taking it by a score of 25-18, evening the match up at 1-1.

The third set featured similar play from the second, with LPU getting off to a hot start, thanks to another service run by McMillan. Audrianna Guzman and Mackenzie Grooms were pivotal in the third set, connecting on multiple hits, helping LPU build their lead to 17-10 in the third. Jessup was able to make a run, due to LPU committing some attacking errors, but the Warriors were eventually able to put the set away, by a final score of 25-21.

Jessup was not going to allow Life Pacific take control of their home court, so they countered back with an 8-2 start in the fourth set. With LPU on the verge of improving their perfect season to 6-0, they chipped away at the Jessup lead, eventually taking the lead 20-19 in the fourth, following a service run by Mackenzie Stewart and a string of kills for Hannah Caddow. An intense back and forth set put the score at 24-24, but William Jessup took control of the set and ended up escaping with the fourth set, 26-24.

Entering the fifth set, both teams had their eyes set on the sole control of 1st place in the GSAC. These two teams brought their best in the final set, but there could only be one winner. An outstanding performance from both teams made the atmosphere a thrilling one in the final set. The Warrior's attack was eventually the deciding factor, with Bailey Collette, Audrianna Guzman, and Hannah Caddow delivering the final blows. LPU won the final set 15-13, cementing themselves in sole place for first in the GSAC.

Friday night was a night of career bests for LPU, as the 6-0 overall start and 3-0 GSAC start, sits as the best start in LPU Volleyball history. Despite committing over 20 attacking errors on the night, the Warriors still hit an impressive .236 for the match, thanks to career nights by Audrianna Guzman and Mackenzie Grooms, who both set their career marks in kills. Audrianna Guzman finished with 15 kills on the night and Grooms finished with 13 kills, while both of them hit .290 for the match. Hannah Caddow, reigning GSAC Attacker of the Week, contributed another 15 kills and 16 digs in the win. Lindsey Johnson and Daniela H'Orvath were consistent as usual with their ability to spread the ball around the net, with Johnson tallying 28 assists and H'Orvath tallying 21 assists. Allison Ayala led the way on the back line, cementing herself as one of the top liberos in the GSAC. She finished with 24 digs and 2 aces. Emma McMillan had her best night yet in a Warrior uniform, finishing with 13 digs and 2 aces. Her ability to keep the Jessup defense off-balance with her serves fueled many key service runs for LPU. Defensively, Mackenzie Stewart controlled the play at the net, improving on her GSAC lead in blocks per set, as she finished with 5 more blocks on the night. Stewart also tallied her 500th career kill in Friday's match.

As Coach Wes Schneider reflected on Friday's thrilling victory, he stated, "I am so proud of how this team fought for this win in a tough environment. We saw big-time performances from multiple Warriors tonight, helping us beat a really good team. It was great to see everyone contribute in a big way and really shows how deep this team is. Looking forward to tomorrow to see how we handle the second match of our first GSAC road trip. So proud of these ladies!"

Match Stats Leaders

Kills

Assists

Lindsey Johnson - 28
Daniela H'Orvath - 21

Digs

Aces

Blocks

Upcoming Schedule

September 17th @ Menlo College
- Atherton, CA
- 2:00 PM PST