HARRISONBURG, Va. - With a bid to the CVC Tournament already clinched, the Royals were looking to play one more home match after tonight, needing to beat Randolph Macon to secure the four seed in the tournament. 

Unfortunately for EMU, it was the Yellow Jackets who escaped with the close win, 3-2 (19-25, 25-17, 25-19, 27-29, 15-10) over the Royals, despite the electric atmosphere inside Yoder Arena. 

Records: EMU 15-12, 4-4 CVC | Randolph Macon 16-8, 4-2 CVC

Highlights

Set One
A pair of RMC errors and kills from David Ward and Nate McGhee, put the Royals ahead 4-1 in the opening set. EMU continued to lead, but RMC was able to cut their deficit to one, 8-7, until the Royals went on a 9-1 run, capped off by a Ward kill and a big block from McGhee and Jose Melendez. Randolph Macon was able to cut the EMU lead to five multiple times, 22-17, 23-18 and 24-19, but a kill from Ward finished off the set for a 1-0 lead. 

Set Two
Randolph Macon started set two on a 7-1 run and kept their foot on the gas. EMU was able to claw back in to trail by four, 12-8, but RMC responded with a 5-1 tilt to pull ahead 17-9. EMU answered with a 6-2 run, picking up a trio of kills from Ward, but five was as close as the Royals would get as the Yellow Jackets tied things, winning the final three points of the set. 

Set Three
The teams traded points to start the third set, with RMC pulling out to a slim 9-7 lead. They gained some cushion with a 5-1 run, but the Royals fought back with a 5-1 run of their own, highlighted by kills from Ward and Walter Spurlock, along with a block from Spurlock and Ben Childers, to trail by just two. But the Yellow Jackets were able to piece together points, scoring seven of the next nine, for a 24-17 advantage. EMU added two on a pair of errors, but a Randolph Macon kill gave RMC a 2-1 lead. 

Set Four
The Yellow Jackets looked to end things in four, taking a 13-9 lead to start the fourth. They were eventually able to push their lead to 17-11 before four straight points from EMU, including a kill from Andre Mills and a Melendez ace, cut the Yellow Jackets lead to two. RMC pushed the lead back to four, but the Royals rallied with a 4-0 run, using kills from Childers and Mills, along with a Mills ace, to tie things at 19. The teams traded points and both squads had match point multiple times, but with things tied at 27, the Royals forced a fifth set after an error and an emphatic block from Childers and Tyler Oaks. 

Set Five
A back-and-forth start to the set saw things tied at four before RMC pulled ahead with a 5-1 run. EMU answered with a 3-1 run of their own, with kills from Oaks and Mills, to cut their deficit to 11-9. But EMU would only score one more point, an RMC service error, as the Yellow Jackets won four of the last five sets to deal EMU the heartbreaking loss. 

Statistical Leaders
Ward: 15 kills, 1 ace, 1 block, 3 digs
Oaks: 39 assists, 1 kill, 3 blocks, 10 digs
McGhee: 11 kills, 4 blocks, 6 digs

What's Next
EMU will wrap up the 2024 regular season on Saturday, April 6, when they head to Winston-Salem for a tri match against Carolina and Bluefield. First serve against the Bruins is set for 1 pm. 

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