CHICKASHA, Okla. -- Behind a career-high 12 kills from junior Erin Mullins and another 11 terminations from senior Savanna Riney, the John Brown University volleyball team survived another five-set scare and survived in a 3-2 (26-24, 23-25, 14-25, 25-22, 15-8) win over Science & Arts (Okla.) inside Drover Fieldhouse Thursday (Sept. 28) night to win a fourth-straight match.
Up 24-20 in the first set, the Golden Eagles (14-7, 7-3 Sooner Athletic) allowed USAO to net four consecutive points to tie the score. A Drover attack error followed by a Riney-Mullins block finished off the set, but that wasn't the end of the dramatics for the visitors.
Despite hitting .300 (18-6-40) in the second set, JBU allowed Science & Arts to piece together a 7-1 run midway through the set to turn a three-point Golden Eagle lead into a 20-17 advantage for the hosts. Kills from junior Taylor Golmen and freshman Cora Roweton eventually helped JBU tie the set at 23, but the Drovers used two straight points to even the match.
Science & Arts (7-8, 4-6) handed in a third-set hitting percentage of .419 (15-2-31) and quickly dispatched John Brown, placing the visitors in a 2-1 hole.
The fourth set was a battle of attrition where the teams combined to hit .023, but John Brown never trailed. USAO would tie the set four times, including coming back from a 10-4 deficit, but four consecutive Drover errors were accompanied by a kill from freshman Sarah Graham to close out the set and forcing a deciding fifth.
Kills from Riney and sophomore Emma-Kate Schaefer bookended freshman Mia Baedke's first of three aces in the fifth set to give John Brown a 3-0 lead in the fifth, one that they would not relinquish. Mullins' two terminations continued the John Brown momentum midway through the set, setting up the visitors with an 11-6 lead. USAO narrowed the deficit to four, 12-8, but a late Graham spike was followed by consecutive Baedke aces from the service line, including the match-winner that barely caught the tape and fell between all six Drovers on the court.
At the turn of the conference schedule, the Golden Eagles sit in a three-way tie with Oklahoma City and Mid-America Christian (Okla.) in third place, trailing only one-loss Southwestern A.G. (Texas) and still undefeated Texas Wesleyan.
John Brown finished the five setter hitting .152 (52-27-164) and enjoyed a 9-7 blocking advantage, powered by eight Mullins blocks, while Graham added a trio of rejections from the outside. Junior Julie Milligan scooped 32 USAO attacks in the back row, reaching the 30-dig mark for the third time this season. Senior Morgan Fincham (23) and freshman Sara Welch (19) split the setting duties.
The Golden Eagles return to action versus Wayland Baptist (Texas) on Friday (Oct. 6) evening at 6 p.m. as part of the Homecoming 2023 festivities. JBU will then host Oklahoma Panhandle State on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. Both matches will air live on the SAC Sports Network.
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