SILOAM SPRINGS -- Unable to establish a rhythm offensively, the John Brown University volleyball team fell to No. 23 Texas Wesleyan in straight sets (20-25, 23-25, 19-25) on Friday night (Nov. 4) inside Bill George Arena.
The setback was the Golden Eagles' (21-7, 14-5 Sooner Athletic) first of the year at home as the visiting Rams (24-4, 18-2) broke JBU's 12-match winning streak in Siloam Springs.
John Brown nearly tied the match at one apiece holding a 23-22 lead late in the second set, but the Rams used a kill followed by a pair of JBU attacking errors to reverse the opportunity, placing the hosts in a difficult 2-0 which couldn't be recovered from.
The visitors hit .236 (42-16-110) on the evening, while the Golden Eagles were limited to .134 (35-19-119), which was ultimately the difference in the contest.
While no Golden Eagle could find double-digit kills, sophomore Taylor Golmen put down a team-leading nine kills on 20 swings (.350) from the middle, and junior Savanna Riney produced eight terminations on 23 chances (.174).
Senior Lauren Cloud passed out 19 assists on JBU's 35 terminations.
On defense, junior Micah Fouts posted four block-assists, and Golmen added three. In the back row, senior Jillian Blackman scooped up 13, while sophomore Julie Milligan finished the evening with 10 of her own.
Sydney Charlton led all players with 10 kills on 23 swings (.348), and Ruby O'Brien passed around 38 assists on the night. Andrea Malak's solid performance produced 16 digs in the back row. Carly Unruh threw up five block-assists.
With the home winning streak starting anew, John Brown returns to action on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 5) when it welcomes No. 8 Southwestern A.G. (Texas) to Bill George Arena for a matchup that always produces drama and excitement. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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). Catch every Golden Eagle home game and select away games on the SAC Sports Network, available online or for download on your favorite streaming device.
