FREDERICK, MD - After two weeks of practicing against the same faces, EMU finally kicked off the 2025 season, making the trip up to Maryland for a Saturday tri-match. 

In the opener, the Royals dropped a hard-fought 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 8-25, 15-7) match to Hood College, before dropping the finale 3-1 (20-25, 25-15, 25-21, 25-13) to Drew. 

EMU vs Hood College

Records: EMU 0-1, 0-0 ODAC | Hood 1-0, 0-0 MAC

Highlights

Set One: Hood 25, EMU 22

• The Royals picked up kills from Lindsay Bly and Kassidy Meadows, to tie the set at three early on. Hood responded with an 8-2 run, pulling ahead 10-5. 
• EMU responded with a 9-3 run, using three kills from Meadows and two from Jada Parker, two aces from Meadows and a block from Kaitlyn Custis and Emma Rogers, to pull ahead 14-13. The teams swapped points to EMU leading 19-18, before Hood scored three straight, for a 21-19 lead. 
• Two kills from Kenley Smith and a Smith/Bly block later tied the set at 22, but the Blazers reeled off three straight points to take the opening set. 

Set Two: EMU 25, Hood 22

• This time it was EMU pulling out early, using three Blazer errors, kills from Meadows and Bly and a Smith/Parker block, to take a 6-2 advantage. Hood answered with a 9-2 tilt, pulling ahead 11-8. 
• After the Royals tied things at 11, the teams traded two points for two points, before EMU went on an 8-4 run to take a 21-17 lead. 
• Hood would be able to pull within two, 21-19, but that was as close as they'd get, as kills from Meadows, Smith and Bly wrapped up the set win. 

Set Three: Hood 25, EMU 22

• Kills from Smith and Bly, along with a pair of Mckenzie Taylor aces, gave EMU a 5-1 lead to start the third. Neither team was able to pull ahead by more than three until, with HC leading 13-10, the Blazers went on a 6-1 tilt to take a 19-11 lead. 
• Hood continued to maintain their lead, getting to 23-16 late in the set. But the Royals continued to fight, rattling off six straight points, highlighted by three Parker aces, a Custis/Rogers block and a Custis kill, to pull within one, 23-22. Unfortunately, the Blazers squashed EMU's rally, winning the final two points for a 2-1 match lead. 

Set Four: EMU 25, Hood 8

• The fourth set wasn't close from the get-go. EMU started out on top 7-2 and kept their foot on the gas. After Hood cut the lead to 7-4, EMU picked up four straight points off an error and three straight aces from Felicity Jones. 
• After a point from the Blazers, EMU went on a 5-0 run, pushing their lead to 16-5, running away with the set. 
• Hood pulled within eight, 16-8, with a 3-0 run. But EMU wrapped things up, scoring the sets final nine points, highlighted by kills from Smith and Logan Turchetta, a Rogers ace and a block from Smith and Custis, to dominate the fourth set, and send the match to a fifth and final frame. 

Set Five: Hood 15, EMU 7

• All the momentum EMU had in the fourth, Hood grabbed in the fifth, starting out on a 12-2 run. EMU tried to pull back into the set, winning five of the next seven points, including two Turchetta kills and a Rogers kill, but the Blazers wrapped up the win with a kill. 

Statistical Leaders
Meadows: 12 kills, 13 digs, 2 aces
Custis: 20 assists, 5 blocks, 4 digs
Bly: 11 kills
Team: 17 service aces

EMU vs Drew University

Records: EMU 0-2, 0-0 ODAC | Drew 1-0, 0-0 Landmark

Highlights

Set One: EMU 25, Drew 20

• Drew jumped out to an 8-1 lead to open the match and was leading 10-3 before EMU picked up a block from Turchetta and Rogers, a kill from Turchetta and a blocking error, to cut the Rangers lead to five. 
• DU pushed their lead to 13-7, but EMU responded with a 4-0 run, using a kill from Smith and a Taylor ace, to pull within two. Drew would maintain a lead to 15-13, and then the Royals made their move, picking up four straight points and taking a 17-15 advantage. 
• The teams flip-flopped points to a 20-19 EMU lead, but the Royals put it away with a 5-1 run, as kills from Parker and Smith, along with aces from Taylor and Meadows, gave EMU a 1-0 lead. 

Set Two: Drew 25, EMU 15

• The teams started out even, with things tied at five after a Rogers kill. Drew then went on a 10-2 tilt, taking a 15-7 lead midway through the set. 
• Trailing 18-9, EMU reeled off three straight points off kills from Bly and Turchetta, and a Jones ace, but the Rangers answered back with three of their own to keep the nine point lead. 
• The Royals would pick up three more points in the set, with Turchetta picking up another kill, but Drew finished out the frame winning the final three points. 

Set Three: Drew 25, EMU 21

• Once again, the start of the set was very even, as EMU held a 5-3 lead early on. Later on, after DU had tied things at five, EMU went on a big 8-1 run, using two kills from Turchetta and one from Rogers, to take a 13-6 lead. 
• With EMU leading 14-7, this time it was Drew's turn to go on a run, pulling ahead 17-15 with a 10-1 tilt. EMU retook the lead with three straight, including kills from Bly and Rogers, and things would remain close to 19-19. 
• The Rangers won the next four points to pull ahead 23-19 and won the set after a kill, giving them a 2-1 lead. 

Set Four: Drew 25, EMU 13

• Drew came out swinging in the fourth, jumping ahead 17-3. EMU picked up points from Meadows, Parker, Smith and Emma Greer, but they weren't able to climb back in the match, dropping the final point, and the match. 

Statistical Leaders
Smith: 9 kills, 1 block
Taylor: 14 assists, 6 digs, 2 aces
Turchetta: 7 kills, 6 digs

What's Next
EMU will continue its road start to the season on Tuesday, when they head to Chambersburg, PA to take on Wilson College. First serve is set for 6:30 pm. 

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