FULLERTON, Calif. -- Behind a 14-kill effort from senior Jessica Schultz in the first match of the day against Evergreen State (Wash.) and a strong defensive team effort against California-Merced, the John Brown University volleyball team evened its record to 2-2 Thursday inside the Darling Pavilion at the Hope International Summer Slam.
JBU dispatched Evergreen State 3-2 (25-16, 25-21, 18-25, 22-25, 15-12) before sweeping past California-Merced 3-0 (25-13, 26-24, 25-21).
Against Evergreen State, Schultz led the way with an impressive hitting performance, collecting 14 kills and hit .619 (14-1-21) to lead all attackers in the contest. She also contributed four block assists. Senior Carly McKinney and junior Taylor Glover each posted their first double-digit termination match of the season, as the duo combined for 10 kills apiece. McKinney completed her first double-double of the season by leading all players with 26 digs.
Sophomore Carrie Ciesla notched a career high with 29 assists on John Brown's 52 kills on the match.
The Golden Eagles (2-2) dominated from the service line, launching 10 aces on Evergreen. McKinney had four, while freshmen Ellie Lampton and Lauren Cloud added three and two, respectively.
JBU finished the match hitting .119 (52-29-193), but kept Evergreen at bay, holding the Geoducks to a mere .109 (53-33-187).
The second match of the day was far less dramatic as the Merced attack hit .023 (34-31-130) and only had enough gas to give the Golden Eagles one close set.
A balanced attack for John Brown featured eight kills from Kinzee Mayo, a second high, and seven from senior Megan Beck. However, it was the JBU defensive effort that solidified the win.
McKinney scooped up another 20-dig effort, while Schultz and Mayo led the way with four blocks apiece as John Brown posted 14 block-assists to hold the Bobcats in check. Williams also contributed three rejections in the win.
Cloud and McKinney each served up three aces as the Golden Eagles finished the tournament with 31 aces, averaging just shy of eight per match.
John Brown returns to action in Hutchinson, Kan., this Friday and Saturday. The Golden Eagles face a quartet of Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference foes in the annual KCAC Fall Fling.
Wednesday's matches
The John Brown University volleyball team opened the 2019 campaign Wednesday with a pair of setbacks, falling in straight sets to Montana Tech and No. 15 The Master's (Calif.) inside the Darling Pavilion on the first day of the Hope International Summer Slam.
Senior Carly McKinney appeared in her first outing since 2017, and contributed a team-best 15 digs on the defensive end, adding onto a five-kill, two-ace effort. Senior and returning All-SAC first-teamer Jessica Schultz posted a team-best eight terminations and hit .462 (7-1-13) on the match. She also threw up four block-assists.
Sophomore Jenna Lowery, reigning SAC Freshman of the Year, added 14 scoops on the back row, while both Golden Eagle setters, sophomore Carrie Ciesla and freshman Lauren Cloud, each nearly missed a double-double in the first match of the season. Ciesla finished the match with 14 assists and nine digs, while Cloud added 10 helpers and nine scoops in her collegiate debut.
The John Brown hitting finished the contest at .060 (30-23-117), while the Orediggers, carried by its strong third set, ended the match at .155 (30-13-110).
Later in the evening, the Golden Eagles hit the court again to take on The Master's. The Mustangs (1-1) came out swinging, hitting over .300 in two of the three sets.
Freshman Ellie Lampton provided a bright spot from the service line as the Siloam Springs native launched four aces, a game high, as Schultz again led the offensive effort, posting a team-best eight kills. Williams turned in an especially strong effort, terminating seven attacks without committing an error to finish the match .438 (7-0-16).
The Golden Eagle attack continued to struggle, hitting just .094 (33-20-138), while The Master's responded with a .277 (48-12-130) effort.
Ciesla passed out 14 helpers while freshman Morgan Fincham added nine in her collegiate debut. Junior Taylor Glover scooped up 13 attack attempts in the loss.
Sports on 08/18/2019