After a solid 5-1 start to the season, the Royals now have to find a way to snap a three-match skid. EMU's volleyball women sit with a record of 5-4 after a pair of losses Sunday to wrap up play at the Greensboro Invitational.

The women will have to find a way to right the ship in a hurry, as they start their ODAC slate this week. The Royals head to Roanoke on Wednesday for a 6:30pm start. The Maroons were picked fourth in the preseason poll.

Eastern Mennonite also hosts preseason favorite Washington and Lee on Friday, followed by a tri-match with Shenandoah and Lancaster Bible on Saturday.

Piedmont 3, EMU 0
Very little went right for the women against Piedmont, a highly regarded team from the USA South. The Royals coughed up the first eight points of the match and never led in the match.

Piedmont won by scores of 25-11, 25-12 and 25-14.

Setter Jasmine Johnson (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee) had 10 assists and two service aces. Ginny Sorrell (Spotsylvania, Va./Spotsylvania) picked up eight digs.

Emory & Henry 3, EMU 0
The Royals closed their play in Greensboro with a non-conference clash against ODAC rival Emory & Henry. EMU played better against the Wasps, but still didn't have the firepower to do enough damage.

A service ace from Jasmine Johnson had the Royals within 18-17 in set one, but the Wasps used a pair of 3-0 runs to push out to a 25-19 win.

Set two stayed close, with the score deadlocked at 20-20. A kill from Beck Hoskins (Danville, Va./Westover Christian Academy) kept EMU within 22-21, but Emory & Henry scored the final three to win 25-21.

That seemed to take the wind out of the women's sails. The Wasps scored the first three points in the third and ran away with a 25-13 finish.

Maria Yoder (Manheim, Pa./Hempfield) and Meredith Stinnette (Lynch Station, Va./Altavista) each had seven kills in the match but were the only of EMU's front line players to hit over .000. Erin Mays (Ridgeway, Va./Westover Christian Academy) led the setting tandem with 13 assists.

Sorrell had a pair of aces and nine digs. Skyler Johnson (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) had a match high 12 digs.

All-Tournament Team
Skyler Johnson was named to the Greensboro Invitational All-Tournament Team following play. The junior picked up 35 digs over the course of the weekend, including 12 against both Greensboro and Emory & Henry. She also had three service aces in the match against the host Pride.