Royals Earn Back-to-Back Wins Over Milligan and Point in Home Doubleheader

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Johnson University Royals women's volleyball team capped off an outstanding day of competition on September 20, 2025, at the Graham Center, sweeping Milligan University (TN) 3-0 before rallying to defeat Point University in a five-set thriller, 3-2. The pair of victories improved Johnson's season record to 11-3, further solidifying their strong start to the year.

The Royals opened the day with a commanding performance against Milligan, taking control early and never looking back. Behind sharp serving and balanced offensive play, Johnson posted set scores of 25-19, 25-19, and 25-14 to secure the sweep. Abigail Brown led the way with 12 kills and 4 blocks, while Makiyah Greenlee and Luci Morris chipped in with 9 and 6 kills respectively. On the defensive end, libero Marissa McMahon collected 17 digs, and Lily Richards sparked momentum with multiple aces.

In the evening match, Johnson faced its toughest challenge of the day against Point University. The Royals fell behind quickly, dropping the first two sets 16-25 and 25-27. However, the team rallied in dramatic fashion, storming back to take the next two frames 25-17 and 25-20. The deciding fifth set came down to the wire, but the Royals delivered in clutch moments, edging Point 15-12 to complete the comeback. Brown and Isabella Lidstrom paced the attack with 6 kills apiece, while Lidstrom added 4 blocks. Setter Caelyn Marshall contributed 2 aces and distributed the ball efficiently to fuel the offense.

Head coach Robin Vannoy praised her team's resilience and focus across both matches: "We have been working really hard in practice and we knew it could go either way with Milligan. They always play hard against us so it was really good to come out with a sweep. We are glad we got to play Point. They are an excellent team and we got down the first two sets. But we discussed what we had been doing in practice and getting that confidence back and came through with a win. I was really proud of them today!"

The Royals return to action on September 23 with a road matchup against Union Commonwealth, aiming to extend their winning streak and continue climbing in conference play.