Volleyball season is back at John Brown University, with confidence around the program high. The Golden Eagles, led by head volleyball coach Ken Carver, are coming off of a season that saw them finish with an 18-16 record, making it to the semifinals of the SAC Tournament. While the team fell short of an NAIA Tournament berth, they return most of last season’s roster, as they look to break into the national tournament picture for the first time during the Carver era.
Play began on Aug. 26 when JBU took part in the Hampton Inn Classic in Columbia, Missouri. The Golden Eagles played four matches in the span of a little over 24 hours, and went three for four overall. Two of their three wins were against ranked opponents, as they defeated #25 Ottawa in the opener, as well as #20 Columbia on Aug. 27. They also scored a win over Tabor. Their only loss in Columbia was against Evangel, in five sets. Leading the way in the team’s opening weekend was Savanna Riney, junior, as she picked up 68 kills across the four matches, highlighted by a 22 kill showing against Ottawa.
The following week saw JBU open conference play, as they took on Oklahoma City on Aug. 31 at Abe Lemons Arena. It served as a rematch from last season’s meeting in the opening round of the SAC Tournament, where the Golden Eagles scored an upset win over the hosting Stars. This match didn’t have the same favorable results for JBU, as the Stars rode scoring runs at the conclusion of all three sets to score a sweep over the Golden Eagles and hand them their second loss of the season. JBU responded the following night with a three-set win over Southwestern Christian on the road to conclude their season-opening road trip.
JBU opened their 2022 home slate on Sep. 6 with another three-set win over Langston and continued their dominance in conference play the following night with their third straight sweep, this time against Central Christian. Another tough weekend took place after, as JBU took part in the Park Classic in Parkville, Missouri, on Sep. 9 and Sep. 10, playing in three matches in the span of 24 hours. Two of those (against William Woods and McPherson) resulted in wins, while they dropped their contest against #4 Park. This brought their record after three weeks to 8-3 overall and 3-1 in SAC play.
Up to this point, JBU has been able to successfully rely on their experienced players to lead the way in every aspect of the game. Offensively, the team has found a major spark through Riney, as she leads the team in kills (141) so far. Meanwhile, senior Lauren Cloud leads the team in assists (246) and is second in service aces (16). Cloud was also named SAC Setter of the Week on Aug. 29. Reigning SAC Freshman of the Year Taylor Golmen leads the team in service aces (18), while posing a hitting percentage of .317.
Meanwhile, the junior varsity team enters their third season of play under head coach Steve Brankle. The team has enjoyed a successful start to their season, as they have won six of their first seven matches, nearly matching last season’s win total (seven). During that span, they have gotten wins over Graceland, MidAmerica Nazarene, Friends (twice), Bethany and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. Their lone loss thus far is against Cowley County on Sep. 9. Sophomore Erin Mullins has led the charge offensively, as she leads the team in kills (78), highlighted by a 23 kill performance on Sep. 9 against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. The team’s freshmen have also proven to be a bright spot early, as Olivia Schwarz is tied for the team lead in assists (109) and is second in service aces (13), while Ella McLeod is second on the team in blocks (12).
The varsity team will be back in action on Friday, Sep. 16, when they take on Oklahoma Panhandle State at Anchor D Arena in Goodwell, Oklahoma. JBU has won seven of their eight matches against the Aggies all time, though OPSU scored their first win in program history against the Golden Eagles in their most recent meeting (October 22, 2021). The junior varsity team will take on Evangel in Springfield, Missouri, on Sep. 16. Both teams will play at Bill George Arena next on Thursday, Sep. 22, when the varsity team faces Mid-America Christian and the junior varsity team takes the court against Seminole State.