BETHANY, Okla. -- The John Brown University volleyball team avoided a single attacking error in the third set and limited the Eagles to a vapid .073 attacking clip as the Golden Eagles produced its first straight-sets win in league play in a sweep (25-18, 28-26, 25-14) of Southwestern Christian (Okla.) on Thursday (Sept. 7) night inside Pickens-Springer Gymnasium.
Senior Savanna Riney not only led the JBU attack with 10 kills on 25 swings (.385), she became the 14th player in program history to cross the 1,000 terminations mark. Riney is the first Golden Eagle to accomplish this feat since Jessica Schultz '19.
The John Brown (6-5, 3-1 Sooner Athletic) middles absolutely dominated, as the trio of sophomore Ella Yarborough, junior Taylor Golmen and junior Erin Mullins combined for 20 kills on 39 attempts, while committing just three errors (.436). Yarborough contributed eight kills without an error, and Golmen added six, again errorless.
JBU hit a season high at .296 (44-12-108). Opposite the well-rounded Golden Eagle attack that featured five players with at least five terminations, Southwestern Christian (2-5, 0-2) struggled to find any rhythm. The hosts hit .073 (27-20-96) and erred on 20 of its 96 swings.
Senior Morgan Fincham (13 assists) and junior Emma DeSanti (12) split the setting duties, while junior Julie Milligan patrolled the back row to the tune of 15 scoops.
Two early ties at seven and 10 apiece was broken by back-to-back kills from Goleman and freshman Sarah Graham gave the visitors a lead in the first set that it wouldn't relinquish. Up 16-14, Riney rattled off three consecutive aces from the service line to build a six-point advantage, 20-14. Terminations down the stretch from sophomore Emma-Kate Schaefer, Golmen and Yarborough closed out the set for John Brown, 25-18.
The second set proved to be the most contested period of the night, highlighted by seven ties and four lead changes. Three SCU attacking errors coupled with a pair of blocks from Mullins built an early 11-4 John Brown lead. The John Brown offense then stagnated, allowing the host Eagles to build an 11-3 run that turned a 16-10 JBU lead into a 21-19 deficit. The teams traded points over the next six rallies, handing Southwestern Christian set point. A Riney kill then forced extra volleyball, but after breaking the tie at 24, the host Eagles committed back-to-back miscues, returning the lead to John Brown.
SCU scored the next point, but a host attacking error followed by a Schaefer kill finally ended the set in favor of the visitors, 28-26.
The Golden Eagle offense in the third set was nearly uncontainable as the visitors hit .405 (15-0-37) and used a mid-set 9-2 run to blow open the set. Up 19-11, a pair of kills from Golmen and Yarborough ended the match with JBU riding a brief 6-2 run to close out the sweep.
Dasia Ingram produced nine kills in the loss for Southwestern Christian. Faith DeSouza passed out 14 assists, while Treasure Mozon chipped in with 14 digs.
The Golden Eagles now continue its six-match week by traveling to Salina, Kan. to participate in the Kansas Wesleyan Coyote Classic. JBU will take on Culver-Stockton (Mo.) and host Kansas Wesleyan back-to-back at 5 and 7 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 8) before going head-to-head with Bethany (Kan.) and Haskell Indian Nations (Kan.) the following day – also in consecutive fashion.
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