HARRISONBURG, Va. (EMU Athletics) – The Royals played host to Guilford on Friday night, with both teams looking for a key ODAC win.

It was a tightly-contested back-and-forth match, but Guilford ultimately picked up the win in straight sets, knocking off EMU 3-0 (26-24, 25-21, 25-18)

Records: 5-15, 1-5 ODAC | Guilford 12-7, 4-4 ODAC

Highlights

Set One: Guilford 26, EMU 24
• The teams swapped points to start the match until, with EMU leading 7-6, the Royals went on a 4-0 run with a kill from Emma Greer, a pair of Emma Rogers service aces and an error, to take an 11-6 lead.
• Later in the set, with EMU leading 13-9, they extended their lead to nine, 19-10, with a 6-1 run, picking up two kills from Kassidy Meadows, an ace from Rebekah Allen and a block from Lindsay Bly and Kenley Smith.
• Guilford cut their deficit to two with a 7-0 tilt but EMU answered with a Rogers kill and a Meadows ace. The Quakers, however, won six of the next eight points to tie things at 23. EMU got another kill from Smith to get to set point, but GC won three straight to take the first set.

Set Two: Guilford 25, EMU 21
• Set two started out much the same as set one, with neither team able to pull ahead by more than two points. With the Quakers leading 10-8, EMU made a 3-1 run, using a kill from Meadows, a Bly/Rogers block and a Rogers kill, to tie things at 11.
• With the score tied, Guilford went on a 5-1 run to re-take the lead, 16-12. EMU responded with a 5-0 run of their own, surging ahead 17-16 after a Smith kill.
• The teams traded pairs of points to EMU leading 19-18, but Guilford would pull back in front, and wrap up the set, with a 7-2 run, and take a 2-0 match lead.

Set Three: Guilford 25, EMU 18
• EMU pulled out to a 6-2 lead to start the third, highlighted by aces from Rogers and Claire Reichenbach, and kills from Meadows and Mckenzie Taylor.
• The Royals would continue to lead to 13-10, after a Quaker error and a solo block from Smith. GC would pull ahead, however, using an 8-2 run to take an 18-15 lead. EMU would win the next three points, with kills from Meadows and Smith, along with an Emerson Moats ace, to tie things at 18. Unfortunately for the Royals, the Quakers responded with a 7-0 run to finish out the set, and the match.

Statistical Leaders
Kills: Meadows (9), Smith (6)
Assists: Taylor (12), Kaitlyn Custis (11)
Digs: Moats (15), Meadows (10)
Aces: Rogers (4), Allen (3)

What’s Next
EMU is back at home on Saturday for Senior Day, as they welcome in Averett University. First serve against the Cougars is set for 1:00 pm, followed by a Senior Day ceremony celebrating the three EMU seniors: K. Custis, K. Smith and M. Taylor.

— EMU Athletics —