SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- Senior Savanna Riney's standout performance, highlighted by 13 kills on an errorless afternoon (.520), propelled the John Brown University volleyball team to a pivotal straight-set victory (25-15, 26-24, 25-22) over Wayland Baptist (Texas) on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 2) at Bill George Arena.
For the second time in less than 24 hours, Riney led a Golden Eagle (14-14, 13-7 Sooner Athletic) offense that hit over .300, this time by striking at a .520 (13-0-25) rate and became the most recent Golden Eagle to hit the 1,500 career kills mark. She also added five aces five aces and led all players with 18.0 points.
Senior Erin Mullins bolstered the attack with 13 kills of her own, hitting at an impressive .579 clip, while fellow middle, senior Taylor Golmen, added eight kills, two block assists, and three aces.
Defensively, senior Julie Milligan finished with 10 digs and a perfect service-reception effort (16-of-16), while junior Emma DeSanti dished out a team-leading 22 assists to keep the offense running smoothly.
The Golden Eagles' offense outpaced Wayland Baptist's, posting a .324 (47-11-111) hitting percentage compared to the Pioneers' .302 (42-10-106).
The Golden Eagles set the tone in the opening frame, using five service aces—including four from Riney—to establish an 8-3 lead. Wayland Baptist attempted to rally, cutting the score to 15-10, but a late 7-4 JBU run that Riney powered with three kills and an ace ended in the hosts taking a 1-0 advantage. John Brown hit .481 (15-2-27) in the opening frame.
The second set brought the closest competition of the match, featuring five ties and two lead changes. After jumping to a an early 8-0 lead, John Brown saw a response by the Pioneers that produced a WBU advantage after a 20-7 run. Facing set point, 24-20, three consecutive kills from sophomore Akayla Kador, Golmen and Riney tied the set at 24. The Golden Eagles would cap off the 6-0 run when Golmen served up an ace and Riney blasted the comeback-clinching kill from the outside. DeSanti and Golmen each produced a pair of aces in the back-and-forth period.
In the third set, the teams exchanged points in an intense back-and-forth battle. Tied six times, Wayland briefly pulled ahead, 11-8, following a service ace. JBU's response was swift, thanks to an incredible eight Mullins terminations in the set as the middle hit .889 (8-0-9) in the frame. Finally tied at both 18 and 19, three setting errors haunted the Pioneers while two aces and a Golmen termination ended the second-consecutive come-from-behind effort.
Wayland Baptist was led by a double-double effort by Selma Sutaj, who finished with 13 kills on a .423 hitting percentage and 11 digs. Jordan Schlageter passed out 23 of WBU's 39 assists, and Fade Ogunbade ended with two aces and a pair of block-assists.
"Today's match was a huge win for our team as we push for the best possible finish heading into the postseason," head coach Ken Carver said after his squad improved to 14-2 against the Pioneers since 2017. "This game had it all, as expected from a matchup between top SAC programs. In the first set, we executed extremely well from the service line and on offense, although blocking could have been stronger as Wayland performed efficiently on their end. We continued that momentum in the second set with a quick 8-0 start, but Wayland chipped away at our lead, and we struggled in serve-receive and attacking. Credit to our players for staying composed when down 15-21; they battled back, closed the gap to 20-24, and fought off four set points. Taylor's precise serving and our blocks and attacks helped us secure five of the final six points in that set, with both teams expending significant physical and emotional energy.
"The third set was just as intense, with both teams trading points until Wayland pushed ahead 11-17. Once again, our players fought back to close the gap to 16-18, and from there it was a battle to the finish. Our team closed strong, playing with energy, determination, and precision to secure this critical win. Finishing our home matches 9-2 shows how hard our players work to make this a tough place for opponents. I'm proud of our team's effort and growth; we're gaining momentum at the right time as we head into the postseason tournament."
Now with just one win separating four teams for third through sixth place in the Sooner Athletic standings, the Golden Eagles enter the final week of the regular season on the road. JBU will take on Central Christian (Kan.) inside Jerry Alexander Arena on Friday night (6 p.m.) before facing Langston (Okla.) at C.F. Gayles Fieldhouse Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. The SAC Sports Network will carry both matches live.
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