Jimmies sweep Dordt for third straight GPAC title

The Jimmie men's volleyball team captured its third straight GPAC postseason championship with a sweep of Dordt (Iowa) University Saturday afternoon at Harold Newman Arena. Set scores were 29-27, 25-21, 25-22.

Jamestown (21-3) earns the GPAC's automatic bid to the NAIA Men's Volleyball National Championship April 11-15 in Des Moines, Iowa.

In set one, the Defenders held a 6-3 lead before the Jimmies went on an 7-2 run to take a 10-8 lead. The teams would trade points for the majority of the set, and Dordt had UJ on the ropes with a 22-20 lead. Extra points were needed to decide the set, with the Jimmies getting a Dordt service error and combo block from Ever Cancel and Downey Huynh to close out the win.

An 8-6 deficit in set two turned into an 11-6 lead for Jamestown. Oguzhan Oguz had three straight kills to close out the five-point run, and the Jimmies never looked back. The Defenders got as close as 20-18, but back-to-back UJ points quickly doubled the lead.

The third set once again saw Dordt lead early (9-6), but Jamestown rallied and would build a two-point edge of its own at 14-12. The Defenders had one final surge, going in front 19-17 before back-to-back attack errors drew the Jimmies level. Huynh broke the tie with a kill (22-21), and had three of UJ's final four points, including the match-clincher.

Oguz had 22 kills and hit .474 to lead the Jimmies. Hunynh had 10 kills and six digs. Derek Correa passed out 48 assists, and Adam Lopata had nine digs. Cancel had four block assists.