WAXAHACHIE, Texas -- After a blowout win in the second set, the Golden Eagles fell in a narrow third frame before ultimately dropping the fourth in a 3-1 (18-25, 25-14, 22-25, 18-25) loss to No. 24 Texas Wesleyan in the Sooner Athletic tournament semifinals on Friday night (Nov. 11) inside the Sheaffer Center.
The Golden Eagles (22-9) entered the contest eyeing its first SAC championship match berth since 2008, and with it the league's second automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships, but a .125 hitting efficiency over the final two sets wasn't enough to overcome the second-seeded Rams (25-4) as John Brown concluded its season in the semifinal round for the seventh time since 2010.
Three service aces from sophomore Julie Milligan absolutely blew open a 13-13 tie in the second set as the Golden Eagles rallied on an 11-1 run to take a 24-14 lead. Junior Savanna Riney ended the frame with a kill, tying the match at one apiece.
Despite hitting a meager .042 (9-7-48) in the third, the Rams stole a narrow win, setting up a fourth period that Wesleyan returned to hitting over .300, similar to its first-set effort.
Ultimately, the John Brown attack couldn't convert at a high enough rate to make the finals round, finishing the night at .147 (51-26-170).
Riney led all players with 16 terminations on 54 swings and added 11 digs on defense. Sophomore Taylor Golman hit .455 with 13 kills, while freshman Ella Yarborough added eight kills and three blocks.
Seniors Lauren Cloud and Morgan Fincham nearly split the passing effort evenly, passing out 20 and 19 assists, respectively.
On defense, senior Jillian Blackman racked up 41 digs, a season high, and Milligan contributed 10 in the back row to accompany her career-high six aces from the service line.
At the conclusion of the weekend, sophomore Taylor Golmen was named to the All-Tournament team.
John Brown will now wait for a possible at-large berth into the NAIA National Championships. The NAIA Selection Show is scheduled for Monday morning (Nov. 14) at 10 a.m. on YouTube.
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