DAYTON, Tenn. – The Lady Lions volleyball team struggled to find offensive rhythm Monday night, falling to Johnson University 25-18, 25-17, 25-16 at Summers Gymnasium in a conference matchup.
The Lions (2-28, 1-12) were unable to mount a serious challenge against the visiting Royals (22-5, 10-2), who controlled all three sets from start to finish.
Bryan's offensive woes were evident throughout, as the team hit just .037 for the match with 26 kills against 22 errors on 108 total attacks. The Lions never found consistency at the net, posting set hitting percentages of .031, .027, and .051.
Leah Lindquist led Bryan with 9 kills on 24 attacks for a .250 hitting percentage, providing one of the few bright spots for the Lions.
Sydney Enslen contributed 7 points with 4 kills and 3 block assists, while
Presley Giglio added 6.5 points with 3 kills and 2.5 block assists.
Setter
Maya Gipson distributed 14 assists while also recording 8 digs, showing strong all-around play despite the loss. In the back row, Jessica Cornelius anchored the defense with 9 digs, while
Kaci Wade added 8.
The first set proved decisive as Johnson jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Bryan made a brief run midway through the set, pulling within 14-13, but couldn't complete the comeback as Johnson closed on an 11-5 run.
The second set followed a similar pattern, with Johnson building another comfortable lead. Bryan showed fight late, cutting the deficit to 15-10, but Johnson's Abigail Brown and the Royals' balanced attack proved too much.
In the third set, Bryan's fortunes didn't improve as Johnson raced to a 10-5 advantage. Despite late efforts, the Lions couldn't mount a serious threat as Johnson closed out the sweep.
Johnson was led by Abigail Brown's 14 points on 11 kills with just 2 errors for a .450 hitting percentage. Makiyah Greenlee added 10 points despite a tough night hitting, while Ariah Gourley contributed 8 points.
The loss drops Bryan to 2-28 overall and 1-12 in conference play as the season winds down. The Lions will look to regroup as they search for their second conference victory of the season.
