ROCKLIN, Calif. –  The No. 7 Pepperdine men's volleyball team (9-3, 2-0 MPSF) picked up another win in conference play Friday night against the Jessup Warriors (6-4, 0-1 MPSF) on the road in the Warrior Arena.
 
"Jessup played really well for a long time and they had a great atmosphere in the match," head coach Jonathan Winder said. "I thought we were consistent throughout the match, and then went on some serving runs to break the game open. We have to move on quickly to be ready for another good match tomorrow."
 
Set one saw a night-high 15 kills, led by Cole Hartke who had nearly half of them with seven. The opening set was neck-and-neck until a five-point service stretch from Hartke gave Pepperdine a workable five point lead. Able to maintain the lead down the stretch, a pair of kills from Jose Gomez in the final points lifted Pepperdine over Jessup in the first 25-21.
 
With the worst hitting percentage on the night at .231, the Waves committed a match-high four errors in the lone set dropped. Conversely, Jessup hit their stride with their best offense in the match, committing no errors with a .538 hitting percentage. In a set that saw 17 ties, the Waves hung with the Warriors to the end. Five service errors down the stretch proved costly for Pepperdine, who still forced extra points in the second after a kill from James Eadie, who was a perfect 9-for-9 offensively tonight. The match was tied 1-1 after the home team pulled out a 27-25 set victory.
 
The defense came alive in the third set, recording the first blocks of the night with a total of three. Ryan Barnett took the heat from the Warriors, receiving a set high five-attacks from the home team with just one error. Within two points the entire set, the third looked to be headed to extra points until Gomez stepped behind the service line. Leading the team on a 7-0 run to close out the third, Gomez recorded three aces to give Pepperdine a 25-17 set win and 2-1 match lead.
 
Closing out the match with an exclamation point, the Waves dominated on all fronts. Opening the fourth set on an 8-0 run, Andrej Polomac dropped three aces to give the Waves an early lead. Never allowing the Warriors to serve more than twice in a row, Barnett and Aidan Tune finished the match behind the service line for the Waves as the team hit .519 and won in convincing fashion 25-9 to take the match 3-1.
 
PEPPERDINE VS. JESSUP UNIVERSITY
 
PEPPERDINE ATTACK BY SET
Set      K         E         TA       Pct 
1         15       2         27      .583
2         13       4         39       .565
3         11       2         23       .481
4         15       1         27       .519
 
JESSUP ATTACK BY SET
Set      K         E         TA       Pct 
1         13       2         21       .524
2         14       0         26       .538
3         10       5         24       .208
4         5         3         19       .105
 
 
The Waves are back in action tomorrow in the same arena to take on the same opponent in Jessup. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. and the match will be available to stream on B1G+ (subscription required) with live stats available at www.pepperdinewaves.com
 
GAME NOTES
• Hitting .462, Cole Hartke led the Waves with 23 kills, accounting for over a third of Pepperdine's points with 25.5.  
• Jose Gomez secured 12 kills on the night, hitting at .476 to lead the team. 
• Ethan Watson had a hand in a night-high four blocks on the team's 6.5
• Gomez also led the team behind the service line with four aces.
• Andrej Polomac accounted for 36 of the team's 41 assists tonight.
• Jacob Reilly received a team-high 18 attacks from Jessup with just one error.
• The only set Pepperdine dropped tonight saw 17 tie scores with a lead change.
 
ABOUT PEPPERDINE MEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Pepperdine men's volleyball boasts one of the richest histories in collegiate volleyball, with five NCAA National Championships. Four of those championships came under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Marv Dunphy who totaled 612 victories in 34 seasons at the helm. With 19 NCAA Appearances and 63 All-Americans, the program has consistently been a destination for top talent across the country. Under current head coach Jonathan Winder, the Waves reached the NCAA Final Four in his third season at the helm in 2025.
 
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