HARRISONBURG, Va.  Methodist completed one of the more improbable feats in volleyball Friday evening, rallying from a 2-0 match deficit -- on the road -- to pull out a 3-2 non-conference victory over host Eastern Mennonite University.

The home-standing Royals never trailed in the opening set and reeled off a 9-2 finishing run, including the final four points, to capture the second set and put the Monarchs on the brink. But better play from the Methodist in the second set, despite the defeat, helped the visitors gain their footing and begin the long, come-from-behind rally in the third set.

JUST THE FACTS
Results: Methodist def. Eastern Mennonite, 3-2 (21-25, 20-25, 25-19, 27-25, 15-9)
Records: Methodist 7-2 overall, EMU 3-11 overall
Location: Yoder Arena, Harrisonburg, Va.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Obviously winning the third set was the most important facet of the come-back, but fixing a few rough areas that had surfaced in those opening losses were what turned the tide.
• Overall the Monarchs ended the night with 13 service errors and in the first two sets were not doing match to deter the Royals' attack. Both of those areas drastically improved beginning with the third set.
• EMU struck for an attacking percentage of .183 in its pair of set victories, but Methodist stepped up at the net and dug down to the floor over the final three, limiting the Royals to a negative attack percentage of -.037.
• The Monarchs weren't playing poorly early -- nearly equaling EMU with a .172 kill rate, and their opening set rate of .290 was their best of the night -- but in the opening set they came up with only eight digs. Their digs total over the final four sets? 16, 17, 23 and 15.
• Methodist collected one solo block and two block assists in the first set. Behind Jasmine Tapscott's 4.5 blocks and teammates' 12 block assists over the final four sets, the visitors were able to compliment the floor work done away from the net during the rally.
• Samantha Spooner drove an attack down the left line for the final point in the third-set win, and in the deciding fifth teamed with Tapscott on a block for the penultimate point before registering the match point herself with one more kill.
• The fourth set was the one that seemed most emblematic of the match. EMU broke in front 5-0, only to have Methodist battle back to tie the score at 8-8. An 8-0 Royals run, which included four service aces, tilted momentum heavily in the home team's favor, but the Monarchs once again fought back to tie the match at 23-23 before winning out on a service ace from Lili Henry.
• Spooner and Brittany Ter Meer topped the Monarchs on the attack with 12 kills apiece, while Erica East added 9 with Tapscott chiming in with 8 of her own.
• Henry continues to set personal marks, besting the 40 set assists she propped up Tuesday in a win at Pfeiffer, with a new career-high 44 in Friday's victory.
• Megan Andrews set a career mark in digs for a match with 30 against the Royals.
• In the overall stats, Methodist held the edge in total kills (52-44), assists (52-42), service aces (9-8) and digs (79-75). Eastern Mennonite collected a match-best 13.0 blocks, but only 0.5 blocks more than Methodist.

ROYALS NOTES

• Maria Yoder topped all players by accumulating 17.0 points from 13 kills, one service ace, one solo block and four block assists.
• Meredith Stinnette also reach double figures in kills (12).

OUTSIDE THE BOX(SCORE)

• Heading into the match, Eastern Mennonite had lost four straight, winning only two sets within that four-match streak.
• Methodist and EMU have now played five times since 2013. Each matched ended 3-2 with the Monarchs coming out on top four in four of those matches.

NEXT UP

• Methodist, 1-0 within USA South Conference action, leaps back into league play Saturday at Mary Baldwin, playing the host as well as Meredith in a USA South tri-match.
• EMU hits the road for a tri-match at Lynchburg against the host school and Roanoke.