Visiting Southern Virginia got stronger as the night went along, pulling away to hand a 3-1 loss to the Eastern Mennonite University volleyball women.  The Royals slip back below .500 with the decision at 5-6 as they head to Frostburg, Md., for two matches on Saturday.

The Royals looked surprisingly at their best in the first set, despite a short turnaround from last night's 3-2 win on the road at Ferrum.  They used a 5-0 run to take the lead early in the set, then used another 5-0 run to build a 23-18 cushion.  SVU got within 23-22 before the women closed the door on a 25-22 decision.

The teams traded leads and ties in the second set, with EMU earning a set point at 24-23.  But the Knights rallied for three straight points to turn the tables and grab a 26-24 decision.

Southern Virginia held a small edge throughout the third set before using another 3-0 run to win 25-20.  The final set belonged to the visitors as they rolled to a 25-11 clincher.

The Royals struggled to get their offense in gear, ending with a negative attack percentage for the second time this year.  Regan Cook (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee) was a bright spot with 10 kills and a solo block.  Sara Ritchie (Harrisonburg, Va./Turner Ashby) had seven kills, while setter Jasmine Johnson (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee) had 25 assists and 12 digs.  Libero Katie Miller (San Antonio, Tex./Brandeis) picked up 19 digs.

After a couple of days off, EMU plays Washington College and host Frostburg State this Saturday afternoon at the FSU Tournament.

Coach Jeff Tyson talks about the loss: