HUTCHINSON, Kan. -- Taking on a pair of strong Kansas Collegiate Athletic squads, the John Brown University volleyball team fell in a pair of 3-1 matchups on the first day of the KCAC Fall Fling inside the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
McPherson (1-0) took the first contest, 16-25, 25-13, 22-25, 25-27, while Kansas Wesleyan used scores of 14-25, 23-25, 25-20, 20-25, to send JBU into day two of The Fling seeking its first victory of the young season.
While the Golden Eagles (0-2) took more swing and put down more terminations in both matches, the offense dealt with timing and efficiency issues against a pair of quality opponents, including a McPherson (Kan.) squad that made its way to the NAIA National Championships last spring.
In the morning match, freshman Julie Milligan posted a team-leading 10 terminations on 29 swings, hitting .241 on the morning. She also added a double-double in her collegiate debut by scooping up 11 digs. Sophomore Savanna Riney also put down 10 kills and added 10 digs for a double-double effort. Sophomore Micah Fouts and freshman Lilly Ruston each contributed eight kills in the front court.
Defensively, junior Jillian Blackman dug 25 Bulldog attempts to lead the Golden Eagles, while junior Lauren Cloud and junior Morgan Fincham each finished in double figures.
Cloud completed the double-double by passing out 18 assists, while Fincham contributed 16, also landing in double-double territory.
Sophomore Delaney Barnes notched four block-assists in the loss. JBU hit just .144 (49-28-146), while the Bulldogs fared slightly better, but committed 10 fewers offensive miscues at .153 (40-18-144).
Aidan Brown notched a team-leading 10 kills for McPherson, while Katelyn Moore dug 14 John Brown attempts and Sydney Burton threw up five blocking helpers. Cynarah Rodriguez and Becca Steffan split the passing duties at 15 and 13 assists, respectively.
Milligan continued her strong collegiate debut, boasting another 10 kills, followed by nine from freshman cohorts Ruston and Taylor Golmen.
The efficiency again stunted the John Brown run attempts as the Blue and Gold hit .059 (47-38-153) on the afternoon, allowing the Coyotes a chance to attack at a .180 clip (41-18-128).
Wesleyans' Maddy Beckett led all hitters with a dozen terminations, as she added a pair of aces. Riney offered up a career-best four service aces, powering John Brown to 10, but the Coyotes responded with nine of its own.
Cloud (21) and Fincham (19) again ran the offense, and Blackman came up with 20 more digs. Ruston five blocks – one of the solo variety – and four assists from Golmen showed a bit of rejection prowess from the freshman, but Wesleyan dominated at the net with 17 team blocks.
The Golden Eagles return to action on Saturday (Aug. 21) when it faces Tabor (Kan.) in the morning, followed by a matinee affair at 1 p.m. versus Bethany (Kan.). Both matches will air live on the KCAC Network.
FOLLOW THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Don't miss a minute of the latest action surrounding JBU Athletics by following the Golden Eagles on Twitter (@JBUathletics), Instagram (@JBUathletics) and Facebook (/JBUathletics). Also, don't forget to download the SAC Sports Network app on your favorite streaming device. All Golden Eagle home events, and select away contests, are streamed on the SACSN.
