Young but talented

n JBU volleyball coach Ken Carver believes the team has a high ceiling.

Photo courtesy of JBU Sports Information The John Brown University volleyball team went 22-15 in 2015 and was picked to finish fourth in the Sooner Athletic Conference in 2016.
Photo courtesy of JBU Sports Information The John Brown University volleyball team went 22-15 in 2015 and was picked to finish fourth in the Sooner Athletic Conference in 2016.

With only one senior on the roster entering the 2016 season and 11 of the 15 players on the roster being either sophomores or freshman, the John Brown volleyball team definitely has a young flavor to it.

But being young isn't necessarily a bad thing for the Golden Eagles, who were 22-15 a year ago and 10-6 in the Sooner Athletic Conference.

John Brown University volleyball

2016 schedule

Date^Opponent^Time

Aug. 19^vs. Benedictine-Mesa (Ariz.)#^10 a.m.

Aug. 19^vs. Johnson & Wales (Colo.)#^6 p.m.

Aug. 20^vs. Montana Western#^10 a.m.

Aug. 20^vs. Embry-Riddle (Ariz.)#^4 p.m.

Aug. 26^vs. Benedictine (Kan.)$^3 p.m.

Aug. 27^vs. Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.)$^9 a.m.

Aug. 27^vs. Saint Mary (Kan.)$^1 p.m.

Aug. 31^Williams Baptist^6 p.m.

Sept. 6^Science & Arts (Okla.)*^7 p.m.

Sept. 8^Bacone (Okla.)*^7 p.m.

Sept. 9^vs. Saint Mary (Kan.)%^3 p.m.

Sept. 9^vs. Ozarks (Mo.)%^7 p.m.

Sept. 10^vs. Tabor (Kan.)%^Noon

Sept. 10^vs. Evangel (Mo.)%^2 p.m.

Sept. 16^at Mid-America Christian (Okla.)*^7 p.m.

Sept. 17^at Oklahoma City*^1 p.m.

Sept. 20^Crowley’s Ridge^7 p.m.

Sept. 23^Texas Wesleyan*^7 p.m.

Sept. 24^at Southwestern Assemblies of God (Texas)*^1 p.m.

Sept. 27^at Southwestern Christian (Okla.)*^7 p.m.

Sept. 30^at Wayland Baptist (Texas)*^7 p.m.

Oct. 5^Oklahoma City*^7 p.m.

Oct. 8^St. Gregory’s (Okla.)*^11 a.m.

Oct. 12^Wayland Baptist (Texas)*^7 p.m.

Oct. 13^Southwestern Christian (Okla.)*^7 p.m.

Oct. 21^at Texas Wesleyan*^7 p.m.

Oct. 22^at Southwestern Assemblies of God (Texas)*^1 p.m.

Oct. 25^Mid-America Christian (Okla.)*^7 p.m.

Oct. 27^at Bacone (Okla.)*^7 p.m.

Nov. 4^at St. Gregory’s (Okla.)*^7 p.m.

Nov. 5^at Science & Arts (Okla.)*^1 p.m.

* Sooner Athletic Conference game

# Johnson & Wales (Colo.) Invitational in Denver, Colo.

$ Benedictine (Kan.) Invitational in Atchison, Kan.

% Evangel (Mo.) Invitational in Springfield, Mo.

"We're so young, but it's not necessarily a rebuilding year," said third-year coach Ken Carver. "I think we have a chance to be young and good almost immediately. That seasoning has to take place with the majority of them, just getting out there and playing. But if we get that experience playing early on and hopefully get some momentum or confidence early, if we're able to do that I think the team will have a different look to it."

The Golden Eagles open their season this weekend in Denver at the Johnson & Wales (Colo.) Invitational. The Golden Eagles will play twice on Friday, opening with Benedictine-Mesa (Ariz.) at 10 a.m. and then facing host Johnson and Wales at 6 p.m. JBU will then play Montana Western and Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) on Saturday at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., respectively.

Following that 27 more games to round out the 31-game schedule over the next three months.

The Golden Eagles will play their first home game against Williams Baptist at 6 p.m. on Aug. 31 at Bill George Arena. Sooner Athletic Conference play begins at home at 7 p.m. on Sept. 6 against Science and Arts (Okla.).

JBU was picked to finish fourth in the Sooner Athletic Conference in a poll of the conference coaches. Oklahoma City was picked to win the conference, followed by Wayland Baptist (Texas) and Texas Wesleyan.

"It's about right where I would have placed us," Carver said. "On my particular ballot I had us third. I think this year in terms of overall conference, we're like everybody else in that we've lost key pieces from last year. The conference is pretty wide open overall."

JBU graduated two All-SAC first-team honorees in Audrey Dearien, who's also a NAIA third-team All-American, and Libby Blasingame. The Golden Eagles also lost the services of key hitter Melissa Bakke to graduation.

Another blow in the offseason was the loss of 6-foot-1 senior right side hitter Karis Buff to a knee injury. Buff will miss the 2016 season and serve as a student assistant coach and play her final season in 2017, Carver said.

Molli Pugh (5-10) will be the team's only senior for the 2016 season. Pugh had 277 kills and 81 total blocks last season as a middle blocker

With good depth at middle blocker, Pugh could move to more of an outside hitter role this year, Carver said.

"She has done great work for us here in the middle the last two years," Carver said. "We may be switching her back to the outside hitter position. She played that some her freshman year."

The Golden Eagles have three juniors on the team, including two Siloam Springs products in defensive specialist Beth Brankle and right side hitter Bailei Brown.

Brankle (5-4) returns in the defensive libero role after leading the Golden Eagles with 577 defensive digs in 2015.

"I think last year (Brankle) was overlooked a little bit and how good a libero she was in the conference," Carver said. "Beth's numbers were right there with all of them. Hopefully we'll have her be one of the top defensive players in the conference if not the defensive player in the conference."

Brown (5-11) played some as a sophomore and had 29 kills in limited action behind Buff.

"Bailei Brown really has worked a ton this offseason and over the summer," Carver said. "I think she has finally arrived as a player. I'm really excited to see that. She's owned that right side."

The other junior is setter Alyssa Arnold (5-9), who handled all of the setting duties last season after the Golden Eagles lost their other setter before the year started and had to switch to a one-setter offense.

Arnold finished the season with 1,305 assists and she also had 403 defensive digs.

"She anchored our offense last year," Carver said.

The Golden Eagles will return to a two-setter offense in 2016, and Carver said Arnold has helped with that transition.

"She has done a great job of working with all our hitters and freshman setters to bring them up to speed," Carver said. "It's been great to see. She's a great young lady and a fantastic player."

John Brown has six sophomores on the roster and all of them got a taste of college volleyball as freshmen last year.

Sophomore Kennedy Shelstead (6-1) is competing for a middle blocker position and has had a good offseason, Carver said.

"She hit our summer training program hard," he said. "You could tell she had done the work and is chomping at the bit to earn the opportunity."

Sophomore Brittany Ayers (5-10) also is competing at middle blocker and spent her summer interning with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in California, where she got to work with a lot of volleyball players from other NAIA, NCAA Division I and Division II schools.

"She's definitely dialed in," Carver said. "She can be a pretty imposing player both from an offensive and blocking standpoint."

Sophomore Bayli Reagan (5-10) played some back row last year and had a good offseason. She could help at outside hitter.

Sophomore Bethany Maddox of Springdale Har-Ber also played on the back row and has come in this summer and pushed Brankle at the libero position.

"Last year, Beth (Brankle) was head and shoulders the best we had, but I think with Bethany (Maddox) now we have two very solid back row players," Carver said.

Sophomores Bailey Sager (5-6) and Beth Bjornsen (5-9) are also outside and back-row options, Carver said.

The Golden Eagles have five freshman in this year's recruiting class.

Carly McKinney (6-0) of Mission Viejo, Calif., was a late signee and can play all the way around and reminds Carver of Dearien.

Jessica Meyer (5-11) of Windsor, Colo., is competing at middle after leading her high school team to three state finals and two championships.

Elizabeth Williams (5-9) helped Springdale Har-Ber to the state finals a year ago and will take on a setter role this year.

"She brings high quality setting experience," Carver said.

Megan Beck (5-9) of Frisco, Texas, could also be a setter for the Golden Eagles and is a natural left-handed player.

Lindsey Davis (5-9) of Plano, Texas, could get some opportunities in the middle and on the right side.

Sports on 08/17/2016