JAMESTOWN, ND. (jimmiepride.com) – The seventh-ranked University of Jamestown men’s volleyball team overcame a slow start Wednesday night at Harold Newman Arena, and swept Morningside (Iowa) University to advance to the championship match of the GPAC postseason tournament. Set scores were 25-21, 25-14, 25-14.

Jamestown (18-5) will host Ottawa (Kan.) on Saturday at 7 p.m. The Braves (15-9) advanced to the championship match with a 3-2 win at Dordt (Iowa) University on Wednesday.

The Jimmies led 9-5 in the first set but Morningside rallied with four straight to tie the score at 9-9. Despite never trailing for the remainder of the set, UJ was unable to build more than a two-point lead until a 4-0 run turned a 19-19 tie into a 23-19 cushion.

Tied at 4-4 in the second set, Jamestown rattled off six straight points for a 10-4 advantage. Another run of five straight points put the Jimmies ahead 19-7, and the lead would eventually grow to as many as 13.

Morningside opened up a 7-4 lead in set three, but behind the serving of Braden Neumann (SR/Costa Mesa, Calif.), UJ took 10 straight points and the momentum of the match. The Mustangs would get as close as 16-11, only to have the Jimmies go on an 8-0 run and nearly end the match.

Samuel Jackman (JR/St. Jean Baptiste, Manitoba) had 13 kills to lead Jamestown, while Tanner Woods (SO/Huntington Beach, Calif.) and Caylor Cox (SO/Helena, Mont.) both finished with seven kills each. Derek Correa (SO/Vega Baja, Puerto Rico) passed out 26 assists in helping UJ hit .341 for the match. Neumann had nine digs and three aces, and Derek Owens (SO/Andover, Minn.) finished with five total blocks.