The Casey Steinbrecher era got underway on Friday, when the EMU volleyball women hosted Lynchburg and Roanoke in a season-opening tri-match.

Flashing a quality mix of new talent along with returners from last year's 13-13 campaign, the Royals pushed both opponents on Friday, both ODAC Tournament teams from 2019, before eventually coming up short.

Eastern Mennonite hits the road on Thursday, playing at Ferrum College with Coach Steinbrecher still in search of his first win.

Vs. Lynchburg
The Royals' passing and attacking was in high gear against Lynchburg, with a 5-0 run forging a 20-19 lead in set one. EMU had set point four different times before the Hornets got in front. Even then, the women fought off two set points before Lynchburg finally closed out a 30-28 win the opener.

Eastern Mennonite simply dominated the second, scoring the first two points and never trailing. Hannah Johnson (Staunton, Va./Wilson Memorial) landed the final kill to earn a convincing 25-14 win.

The Hornets turned the tables in the third, leading by as many as seven points before EMU came roaring back to forge a 14-14 tie. But Lynchburg responded with four in a row as they pushed to a 25-19 tally.

Neither team led by more than two in the fourth set until Lynchburg unleashed a 10-0 run to jump ahead 23-15, en route to a 25-17 finale.

Johnson led EMU's three-headed attack with 14 kills and 10 digs. Freshmen Paris Hutchinson (Waynesboro, Va./Wilson Memorial) and Lizzy Kirkton (Goshen, Ind./Goshen) each had 11 kills while Kirkton added 11 digs. Senior setter Tori Wigley had 38 assists. The women hit an impressive .261 as a team.

Libero Bethany Shultz (Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite) racked up a career high 22 digs in just three sets.

Andrea Troyer (Harrisonburg, Va./Broadway) led an impressive defensive display at the net. She had a career high eight blocks, including three solo, as the Royals had 10 stuffs as a team.

Abbi Leeper had 17 kills and 15 digs to lead Lynchburg.

Vs. Roanoke
After a break from action while Lynchburg got by Roanoke in a five-setter, the Royals returned to the court. They carried the same firepower into the match, but in the opening set it seemed like the Maroons dug up almost every big swing by the EMU attack. That momentum snowballed against the Royals, as they ended up getting swept, 25-15, 25-17 and 25-21.

Hutchinson and Kirkton combined for five service aces and co-led the women with seven kills, but the team hit just .058. Heather Phelps (Mosely, Va./Cosby), a 6-2 junior transfer from Richard Bland, dropped in six kills. Wigley had 22 assists.

Shultz had 14 digs while Johnson added 11. The defense managed just one block.

Linsey Bailey led Roanoke with 14 kills.