FT. WORTH, Texas -- John Brown University's women's volleyball team (3-7, 2-1 Sooner Athletic) started its Texas road trip with a loss against Texas Wesleyan in straight sets on Friday evening (Sept. 13) inside the Sid Richardson Center.
The Golden Eagles were unable to overcome the offensive pressure from the Rams (6-4, 3-0), resulting in a 25-20, 25-17, 25-20 setback, marking their first conference defeat of the season.
Despite the loss, senior Savanna Riney led the Golden Eagles' attack, registering nine kills on 26 swings for a .231 hitting percentage. Riney was closely supported by senior Taylor Golmen, who added six kills and contributed on both ends of the net with two blocks.
Junior Emma-Kate Schaefer stood out defensively at the net, recording two block assists while contributing five kills on 13 attempts, hitting .308 for the match. The team's defensive anchor, senior Julie Milligan, delivered a consistent performance in the back row, picking up a team-high 14 digs.
Junior Emma DeSanti ran the offense with 15 assists, adding a kill and a pair of block assists to her all-around performance. However, the Golden Eagles struggled to maintain offensive momentum, ending the match with a team hitting percentage of .131 (30-17-99).
John Brown started the first set competitively, challenging Texas Wesleyan with aggressive serving and defensive grit. Midway through the opening frame, John Brown secured a seven-point lead at 14-7, fueled by a string of service aces from Golmen. However, Texas Wesleyan responded with a 9-3 run to tie the score, capitalizing on John Brown's unforced errors and ultimately taking the set.
The second set saw Texas Wesleyan dominate with a .448 hitting percentage, putting John Brown on the defensive. In the third set, John Brown fought hard, and there were four ties—at 9-9, 10-10, 13-13, and 14-14. Despite the close contest, Texas Wesleyan pulled ahead late in the set and finished the match with a 6-2 run, winning the final set 25-20.
Texas Wesleyan was led by Hanna Rubis, who delivered a match-high 13 kills while hitting .476. Emily Lewis anchored the Rams' defense with 10 digs, helping neutralize John Brown's offense. Migdaly Bernal also contributed eight kills.
John Brown will look to bounce back quickly as they face Nelson University tomorrow afternoon, September 14, at 1 p.m. at Nelson, Texas. The match will be aired live on the SAC Sports Network.
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