PLAINVIEW, Texas -- The John Brown University volleyball team could only muster a .125 attack percentage and seven Wayland Baptist (Texas) service aces powered the hosts to a 3-0 (23-25, 17-25, 19-25) sweep of the Golden Eagles on Friday (Sept. 30) evening inside the Hutcherson Center.
Freshman Carly McKinney hit a team-best six kills and hit .333 percent, adding eight digs and a pair of block-assists. Freshman Megan Beck also added six terminations and hit .385 percent throughout the contest. Freshman Jessica Meyer added four block-assists and junior Beth Brankle scooped up a team-leading 15 balls in the loss for John Brown.
The first set featured four lead changes, but the last proved to be the mostly costly for JBU (14-7, 5-3 SAC) as the Pioneers (14-7, 7-0 SAC) erased a 17-14 deficit to take game one. WBU hit .230 percent over the final two sets.
Facing the set's fifth tie score, kills from Shelstead, Beck and sophomore Bayli Regan handed John Brown 17-14 advantage. A 4-1 Baptist retalition forced an 18-all tie before the teams drew even again at 19. McKinney's third kill of the set broke the stanza's eighth deadlock. However, three consecutive attack errors defaulted the first set to the hosts.
Six lead changes peppered the second set as neither team could carve out a strong advantage. With a 17-16 advantage, the Golden Eagles fell victim to a set-ending 9-0 rally by the hosts, triggered by a trio of JBU errors.
The visitors hit just .091 percent in the middle frame.
Wayland jumped out to a 10-5 third-set advantage, nearly maintaining a constant five-point lead until a late 6-1 run ballooned the difference to nine, 23-14. A McKinney kill and a Brankle ace briefly showed a spark of life, but Wayland ended JBU's 4-0 run with an Inman kill to finish the match.
Katie Inman launched a match-best 12 kills while Alex Wood added a double-double, notching 10 kills, 10 digs and a pair of aces.
The Golden Eagles return to action on Wednesday (Oct. 5) when John Brown hosts No. 14 Oklahoma City at Bill George Arena. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
