From Jamestown Athletics

JAMESTOWN, ND. (jimmiepride.com) – For the second consecutive season, the seventh-ranked University of Jamestown men’s volleyball team defeated Ottawa (Kan.) University in the championship match of the GPAC postseason tournament. UJ swept the Braves 25-17, 25-14, 25-15.

Jamestown (19-5) qualifies for the NAIA National Championships and will find out its pool assignment on Monday.

The Jimmies opened the match by outhitting Ottawa .344 to -.056 in the first set, allowing the Braves to register only three kills on 18 attacks. UJ opened on a 7-2 run, and Ottawa recorded back-to-back points one time. Jamestown won six of the final eight points for a 1-0 match lead.

Leading 13-9 in set two, the Jimmies won four straight points to open up an eight-point advantage, not allowing the Braves to get any closer than seven down the stretch. Once again, UJ outhit Ottawa, this time .400 to .000.

The Braves had early leads of 5-2 and 6-3 in the third set, but Jamestown clawed back to tie the set at 8-8. Nine of the next 12 points went to UJ, and a final 5-1 run closed out the match.

Samuel Jackman (JR/St. Jean Baptiste, Manitoba) had 14 kills, Tanner Woods (SO/Huntington Beach, Calif.) added 10, and Derek Owens (SO/Andover, Minn.) hit .667 on nine kills. Derek Correa (SO/Vega Baja, Puerto Rico) passed out 27 assists and had five digs. Braden Neumann (SR/Costa Mesa, Calif.) registered eight digs while Owens and Woods each had two total blocks.