Emory Volleyball Defeats Pair of NCAA D-II Opponents

The Emory volleyball team recorded it seventh and eighth consecutive wins this evening as the Eagles bested a pair of NCAA Division II foes.  Emory boosted its overall slate to 9-1 following a 3-1 decision over USC-Aiken (23-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-18) and a 3-0 triumph against the University of West Georgia (25-21, 25-19, 25-18). 

In a match that saw a number of long rallies along with some outstanding defensive play by both teams, Emory finished with a .115 hitting percentage(49-29—174)  vs. USC-Aiken’s  .079 (43-30—164).  The Pacers finished with a slim 80-77 advantage in digs while Emory registered a 9-8 margin in total blocks.  Senior Amelia McCall topped the Eagles with 13 kills, her sixth straight outing of double digits in that category, while junior Breanah Bourque rounded out the squad’s double-figure terminators with 11.  Junior Alex Duhl put away eight of her attack opportunities nary a miscue in 20 attempts and led all players with five (2-3) total blocks.  Sophomore Sarah Taub was one of six Emory players to finish in double figures with 15 digs with McCall and sophomore Molly Landers contributing 13 defensive saves apiece. 

Emory head coach Jenny McDowell opted to insert a host of freshmen into the lineup against West Georgia and that decision paid dividends with the team hitting .215 (34-13—93) while holding the visiting Wolves to .076 (30-22—105).   The Eagles enjoyed a 40-37 margin in digs and a 7-4 cushion in total blocks.   Freshman Kate Bowman headed up a balanced Emory attack with a match-high 10 kills and chipped in seven digs.   Classmates Hannah Everett, Cat McGrath and Cami Silverman all chalked up five terminations as did senior Kelsey Freeman.  Silverman also contributed 12 digs while McGrath came through with four block assists.  Freshman Dana Holt dished out 27 assists in the victory.

Emory returns to action this Friday and Saturday (Sept. 16-17) when it plays four matches on the campus of California Lutheran.