The culture of the Eastern Mennonite women's volleyball program continues to change, as evidenced by today's 2-0 start to the 2014 season at the EMU Invitational.  Two wins may be small in the grand scheme of a 29-match season, but it's the first time since the calendar flipped to the 2000s that the Royals have opened the year with back-to-back wins.

The women will look to continue that momentum on Saturday with two more matches on the final day of the EMU Invitational.  They get a tough test against Catholic at 10am followed by Salem College at noon.

EMU 3, Hood 0
The Royals opened with a nice win over the Blazers.  They used a 5-0 run midway through the first set to gain a small edge which they held to a 25-22 decision.  EMU scored the first eight points in set two and rolled to a 25-13 win.  Although Hood held an early lead in game three, a big 11-1 run turned the tables into a 25-15 clincher.

Eastern Mennonite racked up 75 digs in the sweep, as five players made double digits in digs.  Senior Sara Ritchie (Harrisonburg, Va./Turner Ashby) had a successful return after missing last fall on her cross cultural semester, and landed 18 kills with 10 digs.  Freshman Jasmine Johnson (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee) led the two-setter offense with 22 assists.  Dani Driver (Cheverly, Md./Elizabeth Seton) added 14.

Libero Katie Miller (San Antonio, Tex./Brandeis) had a match high 19 digs while Mattie Lehman (New Paris, Ind./Bethany Christian) had 13 digs and three of EMU's nine service aces.

EMU 3, Goucher 1
The Gophers put up a pesky fight in the final match of day one, winning the first set 25-23.  Both teams had momentum swings in set two before EMU got in front with two late kills from Ritchie and eventually won 26-24.

Set three belonged to the Royals, as a few big runs turned into a 25-17 steamroll.  But the fourth set was another tight one.  Goucher used a late 6-0 run to sneak ahead 22-21, but a Johnson service ace put the women up 24-23, and Ritchie closed the night with her 21st kill for a 26-24 win.

Ritchie had another double double, adding 14 digs to her 21 kills.  Becca Hardy (Port Republic, Va./Eastern Mennonite) made her presence felt out of the middle with 11 kills while Regan Cook (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee) added nine.  Johnson had 36 assists and 14 digs.

Miller led all players with 22 digs.

Click here to see the official EMU Invitational home page.