Over the last couple of weeks, the John Brown Golden Eagles crossed the halfway point in Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) play. JBU won seven of their first eight in SAC play, though the end of September and the first week of October featured multiple tough matchups that looked to test them and their status as one of the top teams in the conference.
On Sept. 30, the Golden Eagles traveled down to Waxahachie, TX, to face #9 Southwestern Assemblies of God. JBU entered the matchup with a 12-3 record overall, alongside a 7-1 record in SAC play. The Lions, though, were undefeated overall entering the contest, and they showed fairly quickly against JBU why that was the case. JBU kept it fairly close out of the gate, as the difference between the two teams was just one eleven rallies in, with SAGU having the 6-5 advantage. After this, though, the Lions took control, storming to a 15-6 run, giving them a double-digit lead over the Golden Eagles (21-11) and placing them within striking distance of taking the set. JBU picked up offensively late, as they responded with an 8-1 run of their own to cut the SAGU lead to three (22-19), but a couple of kills from SAGU middle blocker Emma Tompkins and an attack error from JBU middle blocker Delaney Barnes allowed the Lions to take the last three rallies and the opening set.
The second set was somewhat competitive in the early going, though SAGU was able to remain in control, winning nine of the first 15 rallies. It never got any closer after this point, as JBU only mustered three more kills in the set, allowing SAGU to cruise to a fairly comfortable victory (25-16) to take a 2-0 lead in the match. In the third, SAGU fired off to another early lead, but JBU was able to come back from an early deficit to tie it at multiple points with the Lions. But after tying it at 16 apiece, SAGU scored five unanswered and JBU was unable to mount another comeback. SAGU took the third set (25-20) and the match, allowing the Lions to maintain their undefeated record and give the Golden Eagles just their second conference loss of the season.
JBU looked to bounce back the following afternoon against #25 Texas Wesleyan in Fort Worth, TX. The opening set against the Rams was a back-and-forth affair that saw that Golden Eagles trade the lead with Texas Wesleyan on multiple occasions. However, Texas Wesleyan took five of six rallies after JBU tied the set at 15. The deficit was too much for JBU to overcome, and despite a couple of late kills from Barnes, Texas Wesleyan won the opening set (25-22). Needing a win in the second set to maintain their footing in the match, JBU found a big push from outside hitter Savanna Riney, who delivered eight kills in the second frame to lead JBU to a 25-20 victory, tying the match at one apiece. Texas Wesleyan responded to the setback by winning the first five rallies in the third. Things got ugly for John Brown as the Rams, at one point, scored nine unanswered to handle the Golden Eagles with ease, reclaiming the lead on the match with a dominant 25-9 victory in the set.
John Brown took the first four rallies of the fourth set, though Texas Wesleyan took the next four to even the score. After the early tie, JBU regained control thanks to an 11-4 run to take a 15-8 lead, placing them in a good position to stay alive in the match and force a fifth set. Unfortunately for John Brown, Texas Wesleyan was able to mount a late comeback. Highlighted by a 12-3 run to end the match, the Rams took the fourth (25-23), handing JBU their second straight loss.
JBU returned to Bill George Arena on Oct. 5, looking to get back in the win column. They faced the struggling Southwestern Christian team that only held a 1-9 record in SAC play heading into the match. JBU dominated the first set, as they held a double-digit lead multiple times and took a 25-17 victory to open the match. Southwestern Christian took an early lead to start the second set, as the Golden Eagles had five attack errors in the first eight rallies. The Eagles stayed in the lead for most of the set, even though the majority of their points in the frame resulted from errors from JBU. Despite this, John Brown finished on a 10-1 run to take the second (25-19). Southwestern Christian took another early lead in the third set, starting on a 10-2 run. This time, the early deficit was too much for the Golden Eagles to come back from, despite cutting the lead to as few as two points multiple times during the set. Southwestern Christian scored a 25-21 victory to maintain a pulse in the match.
The fourth set started out as another back-and-forth contest, as the teams shared the lead multiple times in the first ten rallies. After the Golden Eagles regained the lead in the eleventh, they remained in control the rest of the way. Southwestern Christian never retook the lead, as seven Golden Eagles registered kills in the set, while JBU also added seven service aces in the fourth alone to win the frame (25-18) and the match. Savanna Riney smacked a career-high 24 kills in the match, while the team logged 12 aces and senior setter Lauren Cloud contributed 31 assists, surpassing 30 assists for the third time in a match this season.
What followed was a rematch against Oklahoma City inside Bill George Arena on Oct. 7, as the Golden Eagles faced an OCU team that previously defeated them in three sets on Aug. 31. The opening set consisted of multiple lead changes early on. But after OCU took a 10-9 lead, JBU more than doubled the output of their opponents through the remainder of the frame, closing on a 16-7 run to take a 25-17 opening win. The second set saw more of the same from both sides, as JBU scored eight unanswered after OCU tied it at six early on. After this, the difference between the teams was never closer than seven, as JBU delivered a double-digit victory over the Stars in the second in commanding fashion (25-15).
Playing from behind in the match headed into the third, the Stars looked for a big push offensively. OCU got an early lead, winning six of the first seven rallies, but JBU caught up thanks to a 7-2 run of their own. The Golden Eagles were able to tie the Stars several times, but after tying at 13, the Stars got on a 6-2 run, giving them a 19-15 lead, placing them within striking distance of forcing a fourth set. The Golden Eagles found some offense late, finishing on a 10-3 run to take the set and the match, with middle blocker Ella Yarborough leading the way with three kills during the scoring run. The win allowed JBU to even the season series against OCU at one win each, while it also marked the first time since 2012 that the Golden Eagles defeated the Stars in consecutive seasons.
After an eventful week, Riney was honored by the SAC, earning the conference’s Offensive Player of the Week Honors on Oct. 10. It is the second time Riney claimed the accolade, previously being recognized with the honor on Sept. 19, 2022. Meanwhile, a trio of JBU seniors hit career milestones, as Cloud and setter Morgan Fincham crossed the 1,500 marks on their careers in assists, while libero Jillian Blackman surpassed 1,500 digs for her career.
The varsity volleyball team returns to Bill George Arena on Wednesday, Oct. 19 to face College of the Ozarks, their lone non-conference match in Siloam Springs this season. Their next conference test at home will take place two nights later on Friday, Oct. 21, against Wayland Baptist. Both matches will start at 7:00 PM and can be streamed live on the SAC Sports Network, the broadcasting home of JBU athletics.
Photo courtesy of Josie Strunk / JBU athletics communications