EMU's volleyball women struggled with their attack in a crucial 3-0 ODAC loss at Virginia Wesleyan Friday night. The decision leaves the Royals 2-6 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, sitting in 10th place out of 12 teams. The top eight make the postseason tournament.

Virginia Wesleyan (12-12 overall) moves into seventh place at 3-4. While the loss doesn't eliminate EMU (9-14 overall) from a spot in the top eight, it does mean the women need to win at least two of their three remaining ODAC contests: Randolph-Macon, Randolph and Emory & Henry. Eastern Mennonite play at conference-leading R-MC Saturday at noon in Ashland, Va.

Maria Yoder (Manheim, Pa./Hempfield) landed a kill for the first point of the night against VWC, but the Marlins quickly took over, ending on a 19-8 streak to win, 25-13.

EMU again fell in a hole in the second at 14-6, but this time the women came back. After a pair of 3-0 spurts, the Royals had scratched to within 19-16 to force a Virginia Wesleyan timeout. But three was as close as they would get, as the Marlins held on for a 25-20 decision.

The home team scored the first five in the third set and never gave up the lead. A block from Yoder and Kara Smith (Hayes, Va./Gloucester) capped a late 7-1 push for EMU, but Virginia Wesleyan closed out a 25-16 final.

Eastern Mennonite got consistent offense from Yoder's eight kills and seven from Becca Hardy (Port Republic, Va./Eastern Mennonite), but they hit just .047 as a team. It was the fifth straight match where the Royals have hit below .100 as a team. Smith and Shyanne Gordon (Onancock, Va./Nandua), who had three kills, were each playing within an hour of their hometowns.

Setter Jasmine Johnson (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee) had 21 assists and eight digs. Skyler Johnson (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) led both teams with 12 digs.

Tiffany Barrett headed a balanced VWC attack with nine kills. Doneisha Hall had four of her team's eight blocks.