SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- Despite forcing a fifth set after a spirited comeback, the John Brown University volleyball team fell to Texas Wesleyan in five sets (15-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-14, 12-15) on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 19) inside Bill George Arena.
Senior Savanna Riney led JBU with 10 kills on 27 swings, hitting .222, while senior Erin Mullins added 13 kills on a team-best .290 hitting percentage and four blocks (one solo) in the middle. Entering the third set, freshman Tessa Burton handed in a career performance, going off for 32 assists, two blocks (one solo) and three service aces, helping the Golden Eagles to back-to-back sets hitting over .300 and .261 (34-11-88) over the final three games. She also completed her first-career double-double, scooping up 11 digs on defense.
In the back row, senior Julie Milligan led all players with a match-best 27 digs and finished 19-of-20 (.950) in the serve-receive. She also joined Riney and Burton with a trio of aces, as the Golden Eagles finished the contest with 14 from the service line.
Texas Wesleyan (15-7, 12-4 SAC) jumped out to a quick two-set lead, but John Brown began the process of fighting back in the third, and used four terminations from senior Ella Yarborough and 13 Burton assists to take the third. While the squads were square five times through the set, a pair of kills from senior Erin Mullins and three late Yarborough terminations closed the frame with the Golden Eagles on a 9-5 rally after being tied at 16 apiece. JBU was down by as many as five (13-8) before the offensive resurgence.
Now with some momentum, the Golden Eagles dominated the fourth set, posting a match-high .364 hitting percentage (15-4-33). Riney and Mullins each contributed four kills and the hosts jetted out to a commanding 10-3 run that broke the set wide open. Texas Wesleyan struggled to respond but did get the deficit whittled to five, 15-10, but a pair of aces from sophomore Kailana Chamnongchith provided late momentum that forced a fifth and deciding set.
In the final frame, the Rams regained control of its offense, surging ahead 6-3 forcing a JBU timeout. Burton served up consecutive aces to hand the Golden Eagles its first lead of the fifth, 8-7, but the Rams would go on to produce a match-clinching 6-3 run, breaking open a 9-9 deadlock–the sixth of the set–to claim the match, hitting .355 (11-0-31) in the period.
John Brown falls to 1-1 in five-setters this season, after previously upending Grand View (Iowa) earlier this season on Aug. 23.
Texas Wesleyan's offense was led by Makenna Gantt, who recorded 13 kills while adding 16 assists, 5 service aces, and 14 digs. Lyric Biggiers contributed 10 kills on a .269 hitting percentage, along with 10 digs and 2 block assists. Setter Ruby O'Brien dished out 19 assists and matched Gantt with 5 service aces, while libero Emily Lewis anchored the defense with 18 digs.
John Brown will return to action on Friday night (Oct. 25) when the Golden Eagles travel to Science & Arts (Okla.) for a 7 p.m. start inside the Drover Fieldhouse. JBU will then face Mid-America Christian (Okla.) the following afternoon at 1 p.m. at the Gaulke Activity Center. Both matches will be broadcast live on the SAC Sports Network.
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