The shorthanded Eagles downed Elizabethtown College in three sets but had to go five sets with Lebanon Valley College in the second match of the day.

With first year outside hitter Kearby Benak out for the day, Nikki Kummerer moved out of her defensive specialist role out to an outside hitter spot. Kummerer played on the outside last year, and the adjustment did not prove to be too significant as the Eagles were able to pass and serve their way to a 25-23, 25-18, 25-16 win over Elizabethtown. 

Though they only hit .224 as a team for the match, the Eastern squad put the Blue Jays under pressure with a tough service game. Courtney Reinhold, Mary Poole, and Maria Horning each had a pair of aces. Horning had five kills and 34 assists, but a nagging injury left her slightly off her game. Reinhold put up another double-double with 17 kills and 14 digs and Poole hit a sparkling .421 with nine kills.

Things looked bad for the fifth ranked Eagles going into the second match as Reinhold took ill and Horning's leg started to act up. Reinhold was able to pull together for a 26 kill 20 dig performance, Reinhold is one of just five Division III players in the nation to average five kills a set.

Horning, however, had to step out of the match after the Eagles leveled the set score at 1-1 with a 25-16 win in the second set. Kelly Groff ran off the court at the end of game three and changed from her libero jersey into a standard colored setter uniform.

The sophomore libero ran the offense for a win in the third set, but the Eagles stumbled in a tight fourth set. With the rest, Horning was able to re-enter for the final set. WIth their star setter back in place and Groff back in a black jersey, Eastern earned a 15-9 win in the final set to take the match.

"KG (Kelly Groff) was pretty awesome today." Eastern Head Coach Mark Birtwistle exclaimed, "until Wednesday she had not really set a game since high school. She ran the offense very well and when she was at libero she was fantastic as well." Groff finished the match with 19 assists and a team-high 24 digs.

Birtwistle also cited the efforts of Kummerer (12 kills) and Poole (9 kills) in describing the challenging day. "Today," he said, "was just a matter of getting through with our line-up a little bit messed up. I was very proud of the effort of the girls today."

Eastern (18-1, 2-0 Freedom) has a Tuesday match at home against Manhattanville College and then will have time to get healthy with an eight day break.