EMU's attempt to reach the ODAC Tournament for the first time since 2007 came up short Wednesday night, as the volleyball women dropped a 3-0 decision at Bridgewater College.  The Royals end the year with a record of 9-16 overall, including 2-9 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.

Despite the disappointing ending, both the overall and conference win totals are tied for the most for the program over the last six seasons.

Eastern Mennonite knew going into the night that with a win, coupled with a Randolph loss at Lynchburg, they likely would earn their way into the ODAC's eight-team field based on any potential tie-breaking scenario.  By the end of the night, however, neither of those qualifiers played out correctly for the Royals, as Randolph made a surprising comeback for a 3-2 win against the Hornets.

The women struggled to get their offense in gear against Bridgewater all night.  As a result, their biggest run was a 3-0 streak when they built an early 9-5 lead in set two.  The Eagles, meanwhile, had a run of at least four points in a row in each set.

Game scores were 25-14, 25-19 and 25-16.

EMU's middles, Maria Yoder (Manheim, Pa./Hempfield) and Becca Hardy (Port Republic, Va./Eastern Mennonite), were the only hitters to get consistent swings.  Yoder tied for the match high with eight kills to go with a pair of blocks, while Hardy added seven kills on 16 swings.  Janna Williams (Kenbridge, Va./Kenston Forest) also finished with seven kills.  Jasmine Johnson (Staunton Va./Robert E. Lee) put up 28 assists.

Katie Miller (San Antonio, Tex./Brandeis) led all players with 13 digs in her final match, while Skyler Johnson (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) added 12 pick-ups.

End Of An Era
For libero Katie Miller, the night was an end to a record-setting career.  Earlier this fall, she broke EMU's Career Digs record, and she finishes No. 6 on the ODAC's Career Digs list at 1,738.  Miller was such an impeccable presence in Eastern Mennonite's back row that opposing teams routinely changed their offensive game plans to merely hit the ball away from her.  She also tied an EMU record with 44 digs in just her fourth match as a freshman in 2012.