SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- Behind 14 service aces, the John Brown University women's volleyball team ran away in a 3-0 sweep (25-17, 25-17, 25-13) of Langston (Okla.) in Sooner Athletic Conference action inside Bill George Arena on Friday night (Oct. 4).
The win improves the Golden Eagles to 8-10 overall and 7-3 in SAC play, while the Lions drop to 2-16 and 1-9 in the conference.
The Golden Eagles leveraged both strong offensive efficiency and formidable defense throughout the match. The Golden Eagles hit .283 (39-13-92) as a team, compared to Langston's .119 (24-14-84). JBU's service game, led by senior Savanna Riney, also proved crucial in securing the win.
"I'm pleased with our team's performance this evening against Langston," head coach Ken Carver noted. "We served aggressively, leading to a season-high in aces, with several players recording multiple aces. Ella continues to grow at outside hitter, achieving .250 attack efficiency or higher for the fourth time in five matches. Taylor is on a hot streak, leading the team in scoring with 5.33 points per set, and Akayla had some impressive swings that demonstrated her hard work. It was a good match and an important conference win. We look forward to competing against Central Christian tomorrow."
The Golden Eagles began the match with a decisive 5-0 run after an early 4-4 tie, powered by back-to-back service aces from Riney and kills from senior Taylor Golmen and sophomore Akayla Kador. This surge allowed JBU to take control of the set, leading to a 25-17 win. An efficient .323 hitting percentage and perfect serve-receive (17-of-17) helped set the tone for the rest of the match.
Conversely, the second set saw the Golden Eagles pull away in the latter stages. Leading 19-15, JBU closed the set on a 6-2 run, highlighted by kills from senior Erin Mullins, Riney, and senior Julie Milligan. The run secured the set 25-17, placing the hosts in the driver's seat up 2-0.
Battling through a pair of ties and lead changes early in the third, JBU finished the match with a commanding 15-5 run in the third set, relying on both offensive and defensive contributions. The run began with a kill from junior Ella Yarborough, followed by consecutive attack errors caused by a block from Riney and Mullins, pushing the Golden Eagles ahead. Mullins added a kill, while Milligan served up two aces to extend the lead to 17-10. Senior Lilly Ruston and Kador contributed timely kills, before Golmen and Yarborough closed out the set with back-to-back kills, respectively. The final point came when Langston's Teia Woodson was rejected by Golmen and Kador, sealing a 25-13 win and the fourth sweep of the Golden Eagle 2024 campaign.
The hosts' serving effort was a major factor in its victory, led by Riney and Milligan's four aces from the service line. Junior Emma DeSanti added three of her own, while Mullins racked up a pair. Sophomore Kailana Chamnongchith added the final ace. With six aces in each of the first two sets, JBU's aggressive serving kept Langston off balance throughout the match, consistently forcing the Lions out of system and limiting its offensive rhythm.
John Brown's defense was a key factor, limiting Langston to a .119 hitting percentage across all three sets. The Golden Eagles finished with 10 total blocks and applied consistent pressure at the net. Milligan's consistent passing and coverage allowed the offense to remain in system throughout the match, facilitating a balanced offensive attack.
The hosts' attack was spearheaded by Golmen, who finished the match with 12 kills on 22 attempts for a .455 hitting percentage. Yarborough was flawless at the pin, smacking eight terminations on 16 swings (.500). Defensively, Milligan anchored the back row with 11 digs, helping keep the Lions at bay. At the net, Mullins and Kador provided solid blocking efforts with three block-assists apiece, while Golmen added a solo rejection and a pair of assists. DeSanti was crucial in orchestrating the offense, finishing with a team-high 17 assists, and Chamnongchith chipped in with 13 assists.
With the win, the Golden Eagles moved to 13-0 all-time against Langston, and 6-0 inside Bill George Arena.
JBU will once again put its undefeated home record on the line when it welcomes Central Christian (Kan.) to Siloam Springs to finish homecoming weekend Saturday afternoon (Oct. 5). Streamed live on the SAC Sports Network, first serve is slated for 4 p.m.
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