The Basics:
Score: Eastern Mennonite 3, Roanoke 0
Records: Royals 5-6, Maroons 5-7
Location: Harrisonburg, Va.

The Lead: The Roanoke men's volleyball team dropped an early morning contest to Eastern Mennonite on the road Saturday falling to the Royals 3-0.

Highlights:

• The Maroons kept things close early with EMU pulling within two late at 21-19, but the Royals scored the final four points to win the set and take a 1-0 match lead.
• Eastern Mennonite used a 6-0 run and 4-1 early in the second set to jump out to a 17-10 lead over Roanoke. A string of two points runs by the home team kept them ahead before closing out the set 25-15 for a two-set lead.
• The third set was much like the first with the Maroons keeping the score close late in the match as the Royals led 20-19. However, a 5-1 run gave the EMU the 25-20 set win and a 3-0 match victory.

The Basics:
Score: Roanoke 3, Hood 0
Records: Maroons 6-7, Hood 1-8
Location: Harrisonburg, Va.

The Lead: The Maroons split their two matches on the day with a 3-0 shutout win over the Hood Blazers on the campus of Eastern Mennonite.  

Highlights:

• Roanoke used a pair of 3-0 runs early to take a 6-3 lead over the Blazers in the first set before Hood went on a 6-2 run of their own to retake the lead at 9-8. The two teams traded points until the Maroons went on a 4-0 run to close out the first set, capped by a service ace by Colin Mendoza to take a 1-0 lead.
• The second set saw the Blazers jump out to a 6-2. Then what is not often seen on any level, the Maroons went on a 20-0 (yes twenty) run to stake themselves a 22-6 advantage. Mendoza served each of the points along the run. After a single point by Hood, Roanoke scored the final three points for a 2-0 match lead after winning the second set 25-7.
• The third set was much like the first as the score remained close throughout the set with the Maroons having a slim 14-13. But a 6-1 run opened up the lead for the Maroons and they closed out the match with a kill from Cade Kinne, 25-19.

By the Numbers:

• Connor Tyson led the Maroons in kills against the Royals with six. Leo Houser dished out 15 assists against EMU.
• Dominic Wheaton and Xzaiver Dixson each finished with six kills against Hood. Wheaton finished with a .857 attack percentage with zero errors and Dixson had a .667 attack percentage with zero errors against the Blazers.
• The 20-0 run by the Maroons in the second set against Hood is the longest run by a team in the NCAA this season.

Up Next: The Maroons continue their road trip on Friday, March 3 when they travel to No. 1 Juniata. First serve with the Eagles is scheduled for 7 p.m.