HARRISONBURG, Va. - Head coach Casey Steinbrecher told his team before the match, "Let's make history." 

And they did just that. For the first time in 12 years, EMU picked up a win over SVU, downing the Knights 3-2 (15-25, 25-20, 20-25, 25-21, 15-11). 

Records: EMU 6-10, 2-5 ODAC | Southern Virginia 7-12, 4-3 USA South

Highlights

• SVU started the match on a 6-3 tilt before the Royals came back, taking a 7-6 lead with a kill from Laney Cline and Mara Woolford ace. EMU picked up another 4-0 run later in the set, highlighted by two kills from Lizzy Kirkton and a Megan Miller ace. SVU would answer, taking a lead with a 5-1 run and later on, with a 16-14 advantage, the Knights would go on a 9-1 run, including taking the final six points of the set for a 1-0 lead. 
• Behind a kill and two aces from Woolford, and a quartet of blocks from Sophia Denby and Lindsay Bly, the Royals jumped out to an 9-1 lead in the second set. SVU would score three in a row but EMU would respond with a 5-0 run from Denby, Kirkton and a pair of Sierra McVey aces, to extend their lead to 10. Later in the set, the Knights would claw back within four with a 7-1 tilt and eventually pull within one, 17-16, but EMU scored six of the next eight points to take a 23-18 lead. A Kirkton/Madison Stockner block ended the set and tied things at one. 
• The teams traded points to 6-6 in set three before SVU went on a 4-1 run and took a three point lead. They would eventually extend that lead to seven until, with EMU trailing 21-15, the Royals scored three straight from Kirkton and a pair of Knight errors, to make the score 21-18. That would be as close as EMU would get, however, as Southern Virginia scored four of the final six points to take the set and a 2-1 lead.  
•  Even play was the name of the game once again to start set four, this time to nine-all. A 3-0 SVU run would give them a small cushion, until EMU answered with a 7-1 run from Denby and Kirkton. Southern Virginia would storm back, taking a 21-19 lead, stealing the momentum from the Royals. But EMU kept fighting, scoring the final five points of the set, with kills from Cline and Kirkton, along with a pair of Manuela Marin aces. 
• SVU took a small two-point lead to start the final set, but EMU answered with three straight. The teams went back-and-forth, with SVU eventually pulling ahead 11-9, but the Royals would quash any chance of a home loss, scoring the final six points off a kill from Cline, a Bly/Denby block and a pair of Miller aces, including an ace on the final point of the match. 

Statistical Leaders
Kills: Denby (13), Kirkton (12)
Assists: Miller (22)
Blocks: Bly (6), Denby (5)
Digs: McVey (19), Kirkton (17), Miller (15)
Aces: Woolford (4), Miller, Kirkton (3) 

What's Next
EMU will continue non-conference play on Saturday when they head to Maryland to take on Ursinus and McDaniel in a tri-match. First serve against Ursinus is set for 2 pm. 

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