Rachel Kennel had her first career double double playing within minutes of her hometown. (Photo by Wayne Gehman)

Local players lead EMU to sweep over Lancaster Bible

A day after snapping their four-match losing streak, the EMU volleyball women now have a two-match winning streak.  The Royals rolled to their second straight 3-0 sweep by beating Lancaster Bible College in Lancaster, Pa., to improve to 8-9 overall.

Game one was close until EMU broke loose and closed on a 17-9 run to win 25-19. Eastern Mennonite surged to a 14-2 lead in game two and never slowed down, winning 25-12. The Chargers regrouped by the third game and kept the score close. But the Royals closed strong again, using an 8-2 run to win 25-18.

Just miles from her hometown, senior Rachel Kennel (Parkesburg, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) played an incredible game. She had match highs with her 12 kills, .522 attack percentage and 18 digs. Kennel also had a service ace, solo block and block assist. Middle hitter McKenna Carter (Waynesboro, Va./Stuarts Draft) was almost as efficient, knocking down eight kills on just 17 attempts and adding a couple of blocks.

D Probst (Willow Street, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite), also playing near her hometown, added nine kills.  Setter Dani Driver (Cheverly, Md./Elizabeth Seton) notched a double double with 31 assists and 11 digs to go with three aces.

After playing four matches in five days, the Royals get the week off before another road trip next weekend. They play at North Carolina Wesleyan on Friday, followed by a tri-match hosted by Guilford on Saturday.