SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- A Golden Eagle volleyball squad that exhibited a renewed energy and passion took to the court today and handed in a spirited performance today against No. 10 Oklahoma Baptist, despite falling 3-1 (25-20, 19-25, 23-25, 17-25) before sweeping away Lyon, 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-16).
"Today was a good day for the team," said head coach Stacie Johnson. "We have been in a slump but have been working really hard to get that love of the game back.
"What the ladies showed today was very exciting. We are going to push hard these last three conference matches in hopes for a strong conference tournament seeding. It was a total team effort today. Players who haven't contributed as much in the past really stepped up and made big contributions."
The Golden Eagles hit .247 percent on the evening, led by Audrey Dearien's 12 kills. Courtney Marshall turned in a season-high 10 kills in addition to two digs and a solo block. Marshall's previous season-high was three kills.
John Brown's front line played strong, out-blocking OBU 7-4 courtesy of freshman Libby Blasingame's solo block and three assists.
However, Kristin Pressley, the reigning Sooner Athletic Conference player of the year, was too much to handle as the junior outside hitter put down 26 kills, her second-highest output of the 2012 season.
The second game of the night featured a contest with cross-state rival Lyon. Despite their 12-22 record, the Scots were fresh off a game in which they also stole a set from Oklahoma Baptist.
The match would end up being not much of a fight, as JBU found its offensive prowess, notching a .427 attack percentage, powered by a trio of double-digit kill performances.
The balanced John Brown attack featured 10 kills apiece from Blasingame, Melissa Bakke and Erin McIlroy. McIlroy's presence in the middle was too much for the Scots to handle as the middle blocker hit at a .381 percent pace.
The Golden Eagles improved its overall record to 19-14 despite falling to 1-8 in Sooner Athletic Conference play.
JBU now has three conference matches left on its regular season slate, including a tilt with St. Gregory's on Tuesday (Oct. 30) in Shawnee, Okla. The Golden Eagles made quick work of the Cavaliers in their last meeting, sweeping SGU in straight sets on Sept. 29.
