ASHLAND, Va. (EMU Athletics) – EMU made the trip to Ashland Wednesday night, looking to pick up a big road win over Randolph Macon, to keep their ODAC Tournament hopes alive.

Mission accomplished. Six Royals had at least two kills and EMU’s defense forced 22 Yellow Jacket errors, as EMU picked up a 3-2 (9-25, 25-23, 25-21, 10-25, 15-8) win over Macon.

Records: EMU 9-13, 4-6 ODAC | Randolph Macon 13-10, 7-5 ODAC

Highlights
• It was a slow start for the Royals, as Randolph Macon jumped out to an 11-1 lead to start the match. EMU would manage to pick up just eight more points in the set, using two kills each from Emma Rogers and Haley Atkins, before a Yellow Jacket kill gave RMC a 1-0 lead.
• The teams swapped points to 6-6 to start the second set, before EMU went on a 4-0 run behind two kills from Logan Turchetta and two aces from Ekaterina Smagily, to lead 10-6. The teams would once again trade blows, and later in the set, RMC was able to tie things at 15 and 17. A Macon error and a kill from Rogers would give the Royals a two-point advantage, but RMC answered with a 6-0 run, stealing momentum from EMU. But that theft wouldn’t last long as EMU, trailing 23-19, would reel off six straight points, highlighted by kills from Lindsay Bly and Emma Greer, along with an Atkins/Kassidy Meadows block, to take the set 25-23.
• The third set saw EMU double up RMC, 12-6, through the first 18 points, after two kills from Bly, an ace from Cristina Colon and a big block from Bly and Rogers. Macon would later pull within two, 15-13, before the Royals pushed their lead back to five with a 5-2 run, forcing an RMC timeout. Out of the break, EMU won four of the next six points to get to 24-17, but Macon wouldn’t quit, winning four straight. But Greer came away with a big kill to give EMU a 2-1 set lead.
• The fourth set went very much like the opening set, with Macon surging ahead 17-3. EMU then outscored the Yellow Jackets 7-5 over the next 12 points, with Greer adding two more kills, but three straight Royals errors tied the match at two and forced a fifth and final frame.
• Two kills from Bly and one each from Rogers and Turchetta, along with a Greer solo block, gave EMU a 7-3 lead in set five. RMC cut their deficit to two, but EMU got those points right back and forced a Yellow Jacket timeout. After the timeout, following a Macon kill, EMU got to match point with five straight point, including kills from Bly and Atkins. Randolph Macon was able to muster two more points on a pair of EMU errors, but a Yellow Jacket attack error sealed the win for EMU.

Statistical Leaders
Kills: Turchetta (8), Bly, Greer and Rogers (6)
Assists: Smagily and Colon (10)
Digs: Smagily and Emerson Moats (12)
Service Aces: Colon (4)

What’s Next
EMU will wrap up its home ODAC slate on Saturday when they take on the WildCats of Randolph College. They’ll also celebrate Lindsay Bly, the lone EMU WVB senior. First serve is set for 1:00 pm.

— EMU Athletics —