LYNCHBURG, Va. (EMU Athletics) – EMU headed to Lynchburg on Tuesday for the rubber match with the third-seeded Hornets in the ODAC Quarterfinals.
After splitting with the Hornets during the regular season, EMU picked up the upset over Lynchburg, sweeping the Hornets 3-0 (26-24, 28-26, 25-21).
Records: EMU 12-18, 6-10 ODAC | Lynchburg 14-12, 10-6 ODAC
Highlights
Set One: EMU 26, Lynchburg 24
Kills from Jose Melendez, Derek Diaz, James Powell and Daeman Odom put the Royals ahead 5-3 early in set one. Later in the set, with things tied at seven, EMU went on a 5-1 run to take a 12-8 lead.
An 8-4 Lynchburg run tied things at 16 and the Hornets eventually took a 20-19 lead late, but the Royals reeled off four straight, highlighted by two kills from Diaz and an Odom/Diaz block.
A kill from Melendez put EMU at set point, but the Hornets tied things at 24, sending the set to extras. It didn’t last long, however, as a block from Odom/ Diaz/Ricky Fernandez and an Ezekiel Awkward kill put EMU ahead 1-0.
Set Two: EMU 28, Lynchburg 26
The Hornets pulled ahead 5-3 to open the second set and pushed their lead to 6-4, before a 4-0 Royals run, highlighted by a Diaz ace, put them ahead 8-6.
The teams would swap one-point leads over the next 26 points, with Lynchburg holding a slight advantage, 14-12, to tie things at 20. The Hornets would then go on a 3-0 run, taking a 23-20 lead.
After an EMU timeout, the Royals would go on a 4-1 run with two kills from Diaz to tie things at 24, and once again force extra points. Twice Lynchburg would get to set point, 25-24, 26-25 but EMU ended things with a 3-0 run, including a kill from Pierce Donnelly and back-to-back blocks from Awkward and Powell to take a 2-0 lead.
Set Three: EMU 25, Lynchburg 21
Lynchburg once again jumped out to a lead in the third set, pulling ahead 6-3 through the first nine points. But EMU pulled ahead by one with a 4-0 run, highlighted by a Donnelly kill, forcing a Lynchburg timeout.
Out of the break, Lynchburg pulled out in front and would lead until a 2-0 EMU run tied things at 11. The next four points were back and forth to 13-12 Lynchburg, until EMU went on a 7-2 run with kills from Diaz, Odom and Awkward, along with a Diaz/Odom block to lead 19-15.
A 2-0 Lynchburg run forced an EMU timeout and out of the break, the Hornets were able to pull within one, 21-20. But EMU used a Powell block and an error to push their lead to three, 23-20. A block pulled Lynchburg within one, but EMU finished things out with kills from Melendez and Diaz to wrap up the win.
Statistical Leaders
Kills: Awkward (11), Odom and Diaz (8)
Assists: Fernandez (20), Jonas Stafford (14)
Digs: Rey De La Cruz (10), Awkward (9)
Blocks: Powell (5), Odom (4)
What’s Next
EMU will now head to Roanoke College on Thursday for the ODAC MVB Semifinals. First serve against the Maroons is TBD.
— EMU Athletics —
