EMU's volleyball tri-match at St. Mary's (Md.) on Saturday was ripe with storylines, but none were greater than libero Katie Miller (San Antonio, Tex./Brandeis), who had a huge 25-dig effort against Methodist to break EMU's career digs record.  The Royals ended up losing a five-set heart-breaker to the Monarchs before falling to host St. Mary's in three.

Miller entered the day needing 25 digs combined from the matches against Methodist and SMC to break the record, but she got all she needed in the first match.  She surpasses Rachel Nafziger's record of 1,436, which had stood since 2002, and now has 1,447.  Miller, who hasn't missed a match in her four years, holds a career average of 4.55 digs per set and could make a run at a spot in the top five of the ODAC's career digs list.

Twyla Sessor (2006-09) holds the ODAC mark with 1,974 career digs.  Guilford's Jennifer Pue-Gilchrist is 10th at 1,585.

While Miller's individual accolades won the day, the Royals also played some of their best volleyball of the young season against Methodist.  MU had beaten the women in four last weekend at the EMU Invitational, but Eastern Mennonite claimed the first two sets on Saturday.

Offensively and defensively, EMU looked at the top of their game as they hit .184 and .222 in earning 25-21 and 25-23 wins.  They scored the final six points to win set one before holding off a late Monarch rally in the second.

Each team had runs in the third set before Methodist broke a 20-20 tie with four in row.  The Royals fought back with three straight points before MU got a kill to extend the match, 25-23.

EMU had an early 7-4 lead in the fourth, but then saw the Monarchs tie things up.  MU's lead was a scant 21-20 before four in row closed a 25-20 score to send the contest to five.

The Royals edged to a 4-2 lead before Methodist scored six straight to jump ahead.  The women scored four in a row to get within 10-9 before giving up five in a row to fall 15-9 and lose the match.

Miller's 25 digs led five women with double digit digs.  She also had four of EMU's 12 aces.  Skyler Johnson (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) had 15 and three service aces while Alena Yoder (Elkhart, Ind./Bethany Christian) chipped in 13 pickups.  Jasmine Johnson (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee) had 29 assists, 12 digs and three aces and fellow setter Dani Driver (Cheverly, Md./Elizabeth Seton) added 18 assists and 10 digs.

Janna Williams (Kenbridge, Va./Kenston Forest) notched 11 kills, while middles Becca Hardy (Port Republic, Va./Eastern Mennonite) and Maria Yoder (Manheim, Pa./Hempfield) each had 10 kills and three blocks.

Cassidy Hayes had 15 kills to lead a balanced Methodist attack.  Karly Klimas had 22 digs.

The Royals struggled with the height of host St. Mary's in the late match, falling 3-0 while being out-hit .347 to .011.  EMU got progressively better but lost by scores of 25-13, 25-18 and 25-20.

Katie Miller had 10 digs. Outsider hitter Kait Miller (Sellersville, Pa./Christopher Dock) led the team with seven kills.  Jasmine Johnson had 12 set assists and two aces.

Mandy Goodspeed led SMC with 12 kills and Mimi Graf added nine.

All-Tournament Team
Katie Miller and Janna Williams were named to the All-Tournament Team following play.  Along with breaking the EMU career digs mark, Miller averaged 4.4 digs per set and added five service aces.  Williams was good for 1.9 kills per set, and was especially potent against Methodist.

The losses drop EMU below .500 for the first time this year at 3-4.  They return home for their next five contests, starting Tuesday night against Mt. Aloysius.