COSTA MESA --- For the second day in a row, men's volleyball went the distance in a full five-set fray with the Jessup Warriors (11-7). This time, however, VU pulled out the win, denying the visitors another reverse sweep as they came away with a 3-2 (25-14, 25-21, 21-25, 25-27, 16-14) victory, Saturday afternoon at the Freed Center. The Lions (8-15, 2-8) snap a four-game slump and close their final home game of the season with a win.

Sole senior Sean Nguyen was celebrated before opening serve and played one of his sharpest games for the Blue and Gold across the five frames. He netted his second straight double-double, going for career-best marks in assists (50) and digs (16) as well as supplying two service aces.

Logan Freemon tied his career-high with a fluid 19 kills, hitting .271. Micah Sybesma was dynamic in the front row with 16 kills, six blocks, and a career-best eight digs. Grant Dvorak was the final Lion with double-digit kills, clipping 14 to go along with seven digs.  VU greatly improved from last night's hitting percentage as they converted at a .225 (61-27-151) rate. The Warriors were held to a near season-low .149 (50-28-148) percentage but scrapped at the net to lead block assists 21-12. The two sides were statistically equal in digs (56-55 JU) aces (6) and service errors (16).

What Happened? VU dominated the opening frame with a .500 (14-3-22) hitting percentage and quickly established their control with a 5-1 start. In his return to the lineup, Grant Dvorak needed little time to introduce himself, squaring off on four early kills at the right side to push the lead up to six (9-3 VU). Jessup tried to sneak back into the set with a 3-1 response, but the 7:6 ratio of kills to errors in the frame kept them far behind heading into the latter stages of the stanza. The senior day honoree, Nguyen, ended the set for VU with two straight aces, as his clever float serves lifted the Lions ahead 1-0.

Set 2- With the pair of teams both hitting sub .150, VU struggled to impose themselves as strongly as they did in the opening set. Jessup nearly wedged away in the midway point of the frame, but VU had answers through Freemon.  The Warriors went for a 5-1 start to claim an early lead but Vanguard shot back on a 6-0 run, including a pair of Grant Dvorak kills, a few JU attacking errors, and a Micah Sybesma arrow from the service line. Jessup initiated a clinical service run to get themselves back in front but their lead was short lived.  Tied 9-9, the set settled in a trade of errors between both teams until Freemon forced separation by earning an overpass kill, and service ace to steer VU up 16-13.  Jessup stayed in reach however, as five of the following seven points between both teams came via service errors to keep the set tight at 19-17 Vanguard. Freemon found the decisive run to hold off the Warriors, scoring three of his five kills in the set down the stretch to push the Lions into a 25-21 win.

Set 3- VU had the quicker start of the pair but only led by two (6-4) in the opening stages. Jessup gained momentum with a 5-2 run, but Nick Dvorak came up with kills out the middle to keep the leash tight. The Warriors finally made the set-winning push, going on an 8-3 run in the heart of the frame to sport their largest lead 18-13. Freshman Braddock Duckworth came on to help lead a steady serving run and build a 4-0 Lion run. But despite trimming the deficit to one, Vanguard could not overcome Jessup's final swing, as a 6-1 run triggered JU's set point and pulled them back 2-1.

Set 4- Set four was stamped with a fast-paced rhythm and defensive intensity that warranted long rallies. VU hit .306 (15-4-36) and won the blocks battle 3-2. Jessup struck at .289 (17-6-38) and vastly improved their sub-60 % side-out percentages from the previous periods.  Neither team ever truly grasped command of the beginning of the frame. A two-point Jessup cushion never quite took off due to a cluster of errors to keep the Lions on the hunt. The frame flipped back and forth with 15 ties and six lead changes, with VU earning back the leading position at 17-16 with a 4-0 run. The Lions used a smart shot from Caleb Peters, a dump from Nguyen, and a Freemon cut shot to keep the Warriors at bay. They maintained their one-point lead over the visitors until 25-25, when Jessup stole set point with a kill off the high hands. JU punched their ticket to the fifth set with a service ace soon after.

Set 5- Each team was caged at .000 hitting in the final frame, but the Lions had the grit to churn out the win. They started hot on a 6-2 run, with three errors from Jessup giving the Blue and Gold the early advantage. Jessup saw an angle back with a 5-1 run response to keep the hosts on their toes. After the side switch, Jessup exchanged better to go up 13-10. But then Sybesma came online through the middle, linking with Nguyen to pinch two kills and bring the Lions within one.  The Freed Center went still when Jessup issued match point 14-12, but soon erupted after the Warriors committed a miscue from the service line to keep the Lions alive. Down 14-13, the Blue and Gold saw their opening and never looked back. Grant Dvorak fired a right-sided kill for match point, and Jessup committed the game's final error to hand the Lions the senior day win.

What was said?  "It was a pleasure to see Sean help the team fight hard and get a win at home," said Head Coach Brian Rofer.  "It was great to see the guys rally around him too.  There positives that we will take into next week and we will focus on some things in practice before we head to Menlo."

What's Next? Vanguard will head to Atherton to take on Menlo, on April 11 at 6 pm.