OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- Piecing together comebacks in the first two sets to take a 2-0 lead, the John Brown University volleyball team rallied on a 7-0 late run in the fifth set to steal a 3-2 (25-23, 25-22, 14-25, 21-25, 15-12) win from Mid-America Christian (Okla.) on Wednesday (Sept. 27) evening inside Gaulke Activity Center to run the Golden Eagles' win streak to three.
With a narrow 8-7 lead in hand in the final set, John Brown (13-7, 6-3 Sooner Athletic) saw the Evangels rattled off a five-rally run to take a 12-8 lead. That's when the JBU comeback began to secure the squad's first win inside Gaulke since 2019.
A MACU service error brought the margin to three, and with junior Julie Milligan serving, the rally continued with an ace, and consecutive kills from freshman Sarah Graham and junior Emma DeSanti bookending a MACU timeout. Then, consecutive blocks from Graham-Golmen and then Golmen-Barnes continued the JBU rally to six, sitting at match point.
Graham's termination from the pin between a pair of MACU blockers ended grueling five-set match that went 2:16 and featured 33 ties and 17 lead changes.
Senior Savanna Riney led all Golden Eagles with 17 kills, coupled with eight digs, and boasted a team-leading .261 against the Evangels. Freshman Cora Roweton had nine terminations of her own, while Golmen added eight spikes from the middle. Golmen also produced a pair of solo blocks and three assists, leading all players in the match.
John Brown posted a .179 (52-22-168) hitting efficiency behind 23 assists from senior Morgan Fincham and another 20 from DeSanti. DeSanti recorded her second double-double of the season with 10 scoops. Milligan posted a match-best 27 digs the back row, marking the ninth time – and second consecutive – reaching the 20-dig mark this season.
In the middle, junior Erin Mullins assisted on five blocks, while junior Lilly Ruston added a pair of solo rejections to accompany two block-assists. On the night, the JBU block contributed heavily to the win as the visitors combined for 12 total blocks, while Mid-America Christian produced only five.
Nine ties and six lead changes peppered the opening set, but the Golden Eagles used a set-closing 6-1 run to evaporate a late 22-19 Evangel lead. Three MACU hitting errors, combined with a pair of Riney kills and an ace from freshman Mia Baedke highlighted the 25-23 win for a 1-0 John Brown lead.
Another nine draws and four lead changes were featured in the second set as the teams battled in the see-saw contest. An 8-2 John Brown run midway through the frame gave JBU a 16-15 lead, but the hosts quickly secured five of the next seven points to pull ahead, 20-18, forcing head coach Ken Carver to call timeout. Out of the break, MACU committed four errors, including three straight, and coupled with terminations from Riney and Golmen, John Brown regained the advantage, 24-20.
The hosts could only postpone a 2-0 John Brown lead for two rallies before senior Delany Barnes' third kills of the set ended the period.
MACU retaliated with a pair of sets that saw the hosts hit .287 (29-10-66) to claim consecutive wins, drawing even with the Golden Eagles, forcing a fifth and deciding set.
Despite spiking 10 more kills than the visitors, Mid-America Christian hit .168 (62-30-190), committing at least 30 errors in the attack for the third time this season.
Sawyer Franz's 21 kills led all players for MACU, while Lena Stockhammer added another 15 terminations in the Evangels' first loss inside Gaulke this season.
The Golden Eagles can celebrate for just one night, as John Brown travels just over 30 miles southwest to take on Science & Arts (Okla.) on Thursday (Sept. 28) evening. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on the SAC Sports Network. JBU is 12-0 all-time versus the Drovers and 6-0 inside the Drover Fieldhouse.
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