OKLAHOMA CITY -- Despite a strong third-set statement to pull within one, the John Brown University volleyball team fell to Oklahoma City University in four sets (14-25, 20-25, 25-17, 19-25) on Friday night (Oct. 11) inside Abe Lemons Arena.
The loss drops the Golden Eagles to 9-11 overall and 8-4 in Sooner Athletic Conference play, while the Stars improved to 8-10 and 8-4 in SAC action.
John Brown struggled to find consistency throughout three of the four sets on the evening, facing relentless service pressure from the hosts. While the Golden Eagles posted a higher hitting percentage (.181) than Oklahoma City (.172), John Brown struggled to handle OCU's service game and committed 14 errors from the service line, the second-most this season.
With a pair of ties early, the visitors kept the first set close, trailing just 11-8 until OCU went on a 5-1 run, fueled by errors on the Golden Eagles' side, extending the deficit to seven, 16-9. The Golden Eagles struggled to find its offensive footing early, hitting just .071 in the first set as the hosts finished on a seven-point run.
The second set was much more competitive, featuring six ties and several lead changes. After a tight back-and-forth that saw the score tied at 14-14, JBU was once again undone by a flurry of serving errors and City aces, allowing OCU to close it out 25-20, despite JBU holding the hosts to a mere .086 attacking efficiency in the set.
JBU responded in the third set with a dominant performance, jumping out to a 10-0 run that put Oklahoma City on their heels. Seniors Savanna Riney and Lilly Ruston were instrumental, each recording four kills in the set. JBU hit .292 in the frame, its best offensive performance of the match. The Golden Eagles' strong serve-receive (18-for-18) allowed the visitors to run its offense smoothly, and cruised to a 25-17 victory, halving the deficit.
The fourth set was competitive early, with the teams tied at 12. However, Oklahoma City broke the deadlock thanks to Ruby Kelley, who recorded a pivotal kill to give OCU a 13-12 lead. Kelley added two more kills to extend OCU's advantage to 16-12, placing the Stars in control. From there, John Brown struggled to recover, committing attack errors and facing OCU's strong net play. City closed the set with 15 kills and posted a hitting percentage of .289, its best offensive performance of the match, to seal the set 25-19 and the match victory.
Riney led the Golden Eagles' offense with 12 kills on 54 swings (.130), while adding three blocks. Senior Taylor Golmen was the most efficient attacker for JBU, registering 10 kills on 19 attempts, hitting an impressive .474 in the middle. On the defensive side, senior Erin Mullins made a significant impact with six blocks (three solo), helping limit OCU's attack at the net.
Senior Emma DeSanti finished with a team-high 20 assists, while junior Tessa Burton added 16 helpers. DeSanti posted 11 scoops to complete her fourth double-double of the season. Senior Julie Milligan picked up a match-best 21 digs, while senior Grace Barfknecht cleaned up 16 opposition attacks in the back line.
The Golden Eagles will next face Southwestern Christian (Okla.) in Bethany on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 12). First serve is scheduled to air live on the SAC Sports Network at 1 p.m.
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