Five Golden Eagles Named to All-Conference Teams

OKLAHOMA CITY -- After another winning season, five Golden Eagles – highlighted by seniors Savanna Riney and Julie Milligan – earned honors as the Sooner Athletic Conference unveiled its 2024 All-Conference teams, the league office announced Wednesday afternoon (Nov. 20).

Riney and Milligan were named to the first team, while a pair of JBU middles, seniors Erin Mullins and Taylor Golmen, landed on the second team. Junior setter Emma DeSanti was designated an honorable mention.

"I'm incredibly proud of the five players from our team who were selected to this year's All-Conference teams," head coach Ken Carver noted. "Each of them is fully deserving of their respective honors, not only for their outstanding performances this season but also for their leadership and character. These young women exemplify what it means to be exceptional student-athletes and represent the best and brightest in our conference.

"This is the first time in my coaching career that each of our All-Conference honorees are seniors, and nearly all of them achieved career-best performances in their final season. Short of winning a championship, this is exactly what you hope for in a senior class. They leave a lasting legacy, both individually and collectively, having made a profound impact on our team. Many will be remembered as some of the program's all-time greats, and all of them played pivotal roles in our historic 2022 season, which culminated in JBU's first-ever bid to the NAIA National Championship Tournament. The banner in BGA will forever commemorate their contributions to that landmark achievement."

Riney was named All-Conference for the fourth time and earned first team honors for the third time in her career. Among all conference hitters, she ranked second in total points (390.5), third in total kills (330), fourth in points per set (3.49), and fifth in kills per set (2.95). Over her remarkable career, Riney etched her name into the program record books. She finished ranked third in career kills (1,555), fourth in total attack attempts (4,244), 15th in attack efficiency (.241), and fifth in career points scored (1,812.0).

Milligan earned her second career selection to the All-Conference first team, capping a standout final season. She delivered career-best performances in service aces, aces per set, total points, and points per set. Milligan ranked second in the conference with 64 service aces and 0.57 aces per set, and was also the No. 2 back-row defensive player in the conference, averaging 5.05 digs per set. Her career numbers placed her among the program's all-time best: her 1,726 career digs ranked fifth all-time, and her 207 career service aces were the sixth-highest in program history. Milligan's 605 digs during her junior season ranked as the program's 11th-best single-season performance, while her 587 digs this season tied for 13th.

Golmen capped an outstanding career with a fourth All-SAC selection, earning second team honors for the third time. She posted career-best performances in kills per set (2.39), total blocks (89.0), blocks per set (0.78), total points scored (349.5), and points per set (3.07). Golmen ranked among the conference's elite, finishing third in attack efficiency (.311), fifth in total points scored (339), ninth in points per set (3.05), eighth in total blocks (84), and 10th in blocks per set (0.76). Her sophomore season attack efficiency of .364 remains the best single-season mark in program history. She also posted the seventh-best efficiency (.326) as a freshman, 11th-best (.316) as a junior, and 13th-best (.312) as a senior. Golmen's career attack efficiency of .329 ranks second all-time in program history. She also finished her career ranked 14th in kills (1,031), ninth in block assists (293), 11th in total blocks (322), and 15th in career points scored (1,286.5).

Mullins earned her second consecutive selection to the All-Conference second team after delivering career-best performances this season in total blocks (132), blocks per set (1.15), and total points scored (319.0). She established herself as the league's top blocker, leading in both total blocks (124) and blocks per set (1.11). Her 32 solo blocks ranked as the 14th-best single-season performance in program history, while her 132 total blocks tied for 15th. In just two years on the varsity team, Mullins also finished ranked eighth all-time in attack efficiency with an impressive career mark of .269.

DeSanti was honorably mentioned by the conference for the first time in her career, capping a breakout season as one of the top SAC setters in a 6-2 system. She recorded 521 assists, finishing as the conference's ninth-best setter. DeSanti delivered career-best numbers across nearly every statistical category, including total assists (521), assists per set (5.01), total digs (195), digs per set (1.88), total points scored (62), and points per set (0.60).

"Beyond their accolades on the court, these young women have been just as impressive off the court," added Carver. "They've excelled academically, prepared diligently for their futures, and fostered lifelong friendships with their teammates. Their dedication to their teammates and their commitment to the program have set a high standard for those who will follow.

"These honors from the conference are a testament to how special they are, and I couldn't agree more. They will be deeply missed, and their impact will be felt for years to come."

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