WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — The University of Jamestown’s 2023 season saw them finish with 21 wins, tied for the most in program history win the GPAC conference title for the third year in a row and have multiple individual accolades. However, it was not enough to see them get out of the pool play round of the NAIA National Tournament as they got swept by Grand View University on Wednesday, April 12, at the MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex.
“It’s the toughest loss of the entire season because this loss basically was the end of the season,” Jimmies head coach Travers Cox said. “So, the toughest loss we could’ve had this was it.”
The Jimmies (21-5) took an early 5-3 lead but the Vikings responded with a run to take a 6-5 lead. The Jimmies did not have the lead for the rest of the opening set as the Vikings were able to stretch their lead out to 20-11. From there they were able to win the set 25-16.
After the first 12 points of the second set saw the teams tied at six, the Vikings (20-8) went on a 5-1 run to take an 11-7 lead. After the Vikings stretched the lead out to 18-12, the Jimmies called a timeout. Out of the stoppage, the Jimmies’ Ever Cancel got a kill to cut the deficit to 18-13, which started a run in which the Jimmies were able to cut the deficit to 18-16. The Jimmies continued to fight from there cutting the deficit to within two points three more times in the set, lastly at 24-22 but the Vikings put the set away at 25-22 on a kill from Daniel Galili.
The Jimmies were fighting for their season in the third set and it showed as they kept the beginning of the set tight as they trailed 14-13. The Vikings got a kill to make it 15-13 which kickstarted a 4-1 run to take an 18-14 lead. The Jimmies continued to fight though and tied the set up at 22. They could not finish the comeback off though as the Vikings won the third set 25-22. The Jimmies' last lead in the third set was 2-1.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Jimmies' largest lead in the match was multiple two-point leads early in the first set. The Vikings largest lead of the match was multiple nine-point leads in the first set, including the final first-set lead of 25-16.
After the match, Cox said he was proud of the way his team fought the entire way and never gave up.
“Our message was, I appreciate how the guys fought tooth and nail, they never gave up,” Cox said. “People were down three-four points, never gave up, battled back every time, put up a fight. It just wasn’t our day, the goal was to pick each other up. Nobody’s trying to hit the ball out, nobody’s trying to have a hitting error, nobody’s trying to make a mistake, fight with each other, never give up and let’s see what happens and that’s how the guys played. They never let each other down, no matter what happened.”
UJ 0, GVU 3
UJ: 16 22 23–0
GVU: 25 25 25–3
Kills leaders:
UJ: Oguzhan Oguz 10, Downey Huynh 6, Ever Cancel 4, Caylor Cox 4, Tysen Myers 3
GVU: Daniel Galili 11, Nickolas Lima 8, Bayron Valdez 6
ADVERTISEMENT
Assists leaders:
UJ: Derek Correa 24, Adam Lopata 2, Cox 1
GVU: Zeo Meyer 24, Erick Vilar Cordero 7, Dalton Dencklau 1
Aces leaders:
UJ: Correa 1
GVU: Valdez 5, Galili 3, Vilar Cordero 1
The Trust Project
