HARRISONBURG, Va. — Averett University women's volleyball battled back and held off host Eastern Mennonite University in a thrilling fifth set for a 3-2 win Saturday in Old Dominion Athletic Conference play. 

Down 2-1 in the match, Averett (9-4, 4-0 ODAC) forced a deciding fifth set with a 25-18 win in Set 4. That set up a nail-biting finish that went down to the wire. Averett inched ahead early in the set before Eastern Mennonite (3-9, 0-4 ODAC) surged ahead 10-8 after winning four consecutive points. Knotted up 13-13, Eastern Mennonite twice had match point— at 14-13 and again at 15-14. However, the Cougars fought back. A Royals service error tied it, 15-15, and freshman Hope Parrish's kill gave Averett match point. After an EMU timeout, senior Emma Nash's service ace sealed the 17-15 Set 5 victory, giving Averett its sixth consecutive win. 

Averett, coming off a 3-1 over Shenandoah University on he night before, opened with a slow start, dropping the first set 25-15. The Cougars bounced back with a 25-18 win in Set 2. Yet, the Royals regained momentum with a 25-14 in the third set to go up 2-1 in the match. 

In the fourth, the two conference foes were tied 12-12 before Averett's 11-2 run propelled the Cougars to a 25-18 win to force the fifth frame. 

Freshman Allie Wilkinson led Averett with a team-high 10 kills from the middle to go with three blocks. Nash had nine kills and 13 digs, while Parrish and senior Destiny McIntosh each had eight kills. Senior Erin Gray led the Cougars with 22 digs while making 11 assists, junior Kingsley Stevens has 18 assists and 13 digs, and sophomore Dayton Moore totaled 12 assists and 18 digs. Junior Kayleigh Gentry also had double-digit digs with 11. 

Averett returns to the court on Wednesday at Guilford College.