SILOAM SPRINGS -- Freshman Delaney Barnes posted a match-high 12 kills as the John Brown University volleyball team broke out the brooms for the fifth consecutive time in a 25-17, 25-12, 25-7 sweep of Philander Smith (Ark.) to close out the home-and-home non-conference series on Tuesday (March 30) evening inside Bill George Arena.
Barnes' match-best 12 kills came mostly in the first two sets where she posted 4 and 6, respectively, in the Golden Eagles' (10-2) seventh sweep of the season. She hit .435 (12-2-23) – a single-match career best for the freshman, and added a block-assist and a pair of digs in a match that was over in 67 minutes.
Behind four aces from sophomore Jillian Blackman, John Brown controlled the service line to the tune of 11 aces – the fourth time JBU has broken into double-digit aces in a single match this season. Sophomore Lauren cloud added three aces, while juniors Jenna Lowery and Carrie Ciesla each added a pair.
Five attackers hit over .300 on the match as freshman Joanna Hayes hit .600 (3-0-5), freshman Micah Fouts attacked at a .417 (6-1-12) clip and sophomore Ellie Lampton (9-2-21) and senior Jaden Williams (4-0-12) each hit .333 on the evening. Overall, John Brown hit .303 (41-11-99), and hit over the .300 mark for the fourth time this season. The visiting Panthers (11-10), couldn't find a rhythm all night long, and hit just -.081 (14-21-86), led by Nyla Lloyd and DeAundria Green's three kills apiece.
"Playing well tonight and closing out the non-conference portion of our schedule at home with a win is a mission accomplished for our team," noted head coach Ken Carver. "After our long weekend off, it took a bit to get into game rhythm and to Philander Smith's credit, defensively they were much more scrappier this time around than the first time. We had a number of in-system swings that are hitters just cranked on and they were kept in play by PSC's defense. We got progressively better each set from the service line, the tempo of our offense and our attacking efficiency. Lauren and Morgan ran a very balanced and efficient offense – yet again – and we had several of our servers go on long runs by serving aggressively which forced PSC out of system. In the third set, our team's focus was on terminating rallies early and I felt we did an excellent job of that to finish off the match.
"We now will turn our focus to SAGU and Texas Wesleyan – two teams which will challenge us in two very different ways. Wesleyan has the most efficient offense in the league and has one of their players attacking at nearly .500 on the season. While she appears to be a very dominant player, they have several other players who are equally as offensively efficient.
"We definitely have some momentum going in our favor, and I'm glad we get to play both of these teams at home. We're looking forward to being pushed and having to play at our best to be in position to win these matches."
Cloud posted 20 assists – the seventh time the reigning SAC Setter of the Week has broken the 20-assist mark in a match, while counterpart sophomore Morgan Fincham dished out 13 helpers. Cloud and Blackman each scooped 10 digs on the back line.
The Golden Eagles will now have to matches to solidify their spot in the Sooner Athletic standings before tournament play begins next week. JBU welcomes Southwestern A.G. (Texas) to Bill George Arena on Friday (April 2) evening and closes out the regular season with a matinee contest versus Texas Wesleyan on Saturday in a 1 p.m. first serve. Both matchups will air on the SAC Sports Network.
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