HARRISONBURG, Va. --  Men's Volleyball took Eastern Mennonite to four sets, but the Royals defeated Randolph-Macon 3-1 in Wednesday evening Continental Volleyball Conference action.

The Basics

Score: Eastern Mennonite 3, Randolph-Macon 1

Location/Venue: Harrisonburg, Va./Yoder Arena

Records: Eastern Mennonite (4-17, 4-5 CVC), Randolph-Macon (9-12, 3-5 CVC)

How It Happened

• Eastern Mennonite jumped ahead to a 7-3 lead, but R-MC came back to cut the lead to just one. EMU went ahead 10-6 before R-MC climbed back once more, tying the match at 11-11 with a 5-1 run. The teams traded points, with EMU getting a 17-14 jump before R-MC tied the match a second time at 18-18. EMU advanced to set point at 24-20, but R-MC made one last push, scoring three in a row. However, it was not enough as EMU won the frame 25-23.
• EMU started out the second set in similar fashion to the first, pushing ahead to a 7-3 lead. But R-MC stormed back to cut the lead to one. EMU took a four-point lead on a 4-1 run, but the Yellow Jackets tied the set at 13-13 on a pair of errors by EMU, a kill by junior Lee Olenyik (Mechanicsville, Va. / Hanover) and a service ace by junior Brian Stephen (Mechanicsville, Va. / Hanover). EMU pulled away and kept the lead between two and three points, never allowing R-MC to score consecutively until the Yellow Jackets got three in a row to threaten EMU's lead at 23-21. But the Royals closed the set out with two straight points to win 25-21.
• Randolph-Macon reversed the trend in the third set, this time taking it's own lead of 8-3. The early gain helped R-MC keep EMU away from a dangerous position. All the while, R-MC moved through both a 6-1 run and an 8-2 run, helping to secure the set victory 25-15. Olenyik got a pair of kills in the final stages of the set to help R-MC to the win.
• But Eastern Mennonite returned to the early momentum in the fourth set, as the Royals scored four straight and six of the first eight, forcing R-MC to play from behind. But as it had each set before, Randolph-Macon came back to tie the set, going on a 5-1 run to tie the frame at 9-9, before taking the lead at 10-9. EMU tied the set at 10-10 before regaining the advantage, but R-MC returned the favor, forcing a 13-13 tie. The teams traded points until EMU ended the set with seven straight points to get the set and match victory.

Inside The Numbers

• Olenyik led the Yellow Jackets with 15 kills. Freshmen Lenny Sampson, Jr. (Chesapeake, Va. / Indian River) and Scotty Carter (Virginia Beach, Va. / Frank W. Cox) each added seven kills as well.
• Stephen led the team with 33 assists, which was also a match-high. He and Carter made a team-high two service aces each.
• Freshman Connor Logan (Montpelier, Va. / Patrick Henry) also tallied a match-high, digging up 23 volleys.
• Carter made three blocks in the match.

Up Next

Randolph-Macon faces #11 Southern Virginia at home on Saturday at 4:00 PM in Crenshaw Gym.