For four years, Monika Burkholder (Linville, Va./Eastern Mennonite) and Elisa Troyer (Harrisonburg, Va./Broadway) have been regulars on the volleyball court in Yoder Arena. Friday night, the two Eastern Mennonite University seniors played their final home match when the women hosted Roanoke. The Lady Royals gave Roanoke, the ODAC's third-place team, a run for their money, but came up just points short in a 3-0 loss.

EMU roared to a 7-3 lead in game one before the Maroons scored eight straight to take an 11-7 edge. The women fought back to within two points after a Tabitha Bowman (Waynesboro, Va./Stuarts Draft) ace made it 19-17, but RC held on for a 25-20 win.

In game two, the Lady Royals used 4-0 and 5-0 runs to grab a 16-9 lead. After a Troyer kill made the score 20-13, it looked like EMU would even things up, but Roanoke erupted on a 12-1 run to steal the game 25-21.

Eastern Mennonite again had a lead in game three at 6-3 before the Maroons scored eight in row. The women got back within 11-10 before Roanoke regained control and sealed the match with a 25-19 victory.

Bowman led the way with 11 kills and 14 digs. Setter Jessica Goertzen (Goessel, Ks./Goessel) finished with 21 assists, 14 digs and a pair of service aces.

Burkholder, who will graduate in EMU's top 10 lists of career kills, blocks, hitting percentage and games played, had five kills, an ace and a solo block in her final match in Yoder Arena. Troyer, who is having a career year as a senior, tallied six kills and seven digs.

Libero Brittany Childress (Gloucester, Va./Christchurch) added 12 digs.

The Lady Royals fall to 3-19 with the loss, including 0-9 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. EMU closes the year with three road matches, playing at Washington & Lee on Tuesday, Oct. 26, and then at a tri-match at Marymount next Saturday.