In the final match of the day, Eastern Mennonite took on Mary Baldwin to finish off the Hampton Inn & Sleep Inn Invitational.  After a sluggish start the women gained control and took a 3-0 sweep.

The Lady Royals held an early lead in game one, but Mary Baldwin used a 10-3 run to skip ahead 21-18.  EMU then scored three straight to tie the contest, then after a service error rattled off the next four to steal the win, 25-22.

By game two they had settled down and cruised to a 25-14 decision.

The Fighting Squirrels regrouped in the third set and had the score tied at 16-16 after a three-point run.  But Eastern Mennonite scored the final nine, led by freshmen Sara Ritchie (Harrisonburg, VA/Turner Ashby) and Kyla Moorefield (Danville, VA/Tunstall) to finish off the match, 25-16.

Ritchie led the charge with 12 kills and 14 digs.  Moorefield was a defensive force as the middle hitter, picking up two solo blocks and three block assists.

Tabitha Bowman (Waynesboro, VA/Stuarts Draft) added nine kills.  Jessica Goertzen (Goessel, KS/Goessel) had 22 assists, nine digs and two service aces, while Brittany Childress (Gloucester, VA/Christchurch) landed three aces.

Childress was also named to the All-Invitational Team following play.

Eastern Mennonite evens out at 2-2 after their play at the two-day classic.  The women head to Staunton this coming Wednesday to take on Mary Baldwin for the second of their three meetings this season.