Like a sad April Fool's joke, the Royals played some great volleyball early before dropping a 3-1 decision to rival Bridgewater College Thursday night in Yoder Arena.

EMU falls to 3-4 both overall and in ODAC play, while Bridgewater evens at 3-3. The loss drops Eastern Mennonite into seventh place in the league standings, a half game behind BC.

The Royals did a little bit of everything right in the first set, utilizing blocks, kills and aces during a vital 10-1 run. EMU led 18-12 after back-to-back aces from Hannah Johnson (Staunton, Va./Wilson Memorial) and they kept the momentum to a 25-17 finale.

The women looked to have that same edge in the second set, earning an 11-8 lead after a kill from Johnson. But a well-timed timeout from Bridgewater turned things around. The Eagles responded with an 8-1 run for a sudden 16-12 lead. The Royals came right back with a 7-1 surge to get back on front, but BC had another answer with five straight points to go back up, 22-19. EMU chipped back within 23-22 before the visitors landed two straight to win, 25-22.

After the thrilling second set, which featured 11 ties and six lead changes, the Royals never regained their composure. Bridgewater scored first in the second and never trailed. An early 5-1 streak bumped the margin to 13-8 and EMU couldn't get closer than two points in a 25-19 score.

The Eagles scored seven of the first eight points in the fourth and never looked back in a 25-11 clincher.

Normally a high-powered offense, Eastern Mennonite hit just .147 as a team, their second lowest total of the season and just second time under .255. Bridgewater finished at .245.

Freshman Paris Hutchinson (Waynesboro, Va./Wilson Memorial) racked up a career high 19 kills. Johnson finished with 11 kills and a season high 23 digs. She also had three service aces, as did Lizzy Kirkton (Goshen, Ind./Goshen).

Setter Tori Wigley (Elkton, Va./East Rockingham) had 36 assists, a pair of aces and 13 digs. Libero Abby Kaufman (Maplewood, Mo./Maplewood Richmond Heights) added 12 digs.

Bridgewater featured a balanced offensive attack, with Ashley Casey, Nadia Valle, Sarah Kearns and Siena Naotala combining for 41 of the team's 51 kills.

EMU's next match is their lone non-conference contest of the spring, hosting Southern Virginia Tuesday at 5:00pm in Yoder Arena.