The 2016 Emory volleyball team came through with another exciting and successful season, with both the squad and individuals claiming many awards. 

The Eagles concluded the year with an overall record of 33-6, the 10th straight year and the 18^th campaign of 30 or more victories during the 21-year tenure of head coach Jenny McDowell. The team’s final win count represented the program’s 23^rd consecutive winning campaign. 

Emory’s appearance in the NCAA Tournament marked the 21^st consecutive year (22^nd overall) that it landed a berth in the postseason. The Eagles advanced to the quarterfinals of the national championships, where it dropped a 3-2 outcome to eventual titlist Calvin College.  It represented the ninth time in program history that it had advanced to the stage of the postseason. Emory participated in the NCAA Brockport, NY Regional where it opened with a 3-0 triumph over New Rochelle before topping Liberty League champion Clarkson by a 3-1 count.  In the regional final, the Eagles notched a 3-0 decision over host Brockport.  Emory now posts an all-time mark of 45-22 in postseason action, 45-21 under Jenny McDowell. 

The Eagles earned an automatic bid to the national tournament after playing their way to a first-place performance at the University Athletic Association Championships.  Emory defeated NYU, 3-0, in the quarters before besting No. 14 Washington University, 3-1, in the semifinals. In the finals, Emory squared off against No. 21 Carnegie Mellon, toppling the No. 21 Tartans, 3-0. It marked the program’s fifth UAA crown in the past eight years and seventh overall. The Eagles were one of three conference squads to play in the national tournament along with Washington University and Carnegie Mellon.

As has been the case for many seasons, Emory took on one of the nation’s most-demanding docket of games, totaling 14 regular-season matches against 12 teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament.   The Eagles enjoyed a fair amount of success against the field, racking up an 11-3 won-lost mark,

Some of the other noteworthy accomplishments turned in during the year included the following.

** Finishing the season ranked No. 2 in the final American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 Poll.  Emory has been ranked in the top 20 in every weekly poll conducted by the AVCA for the last 18 seasons.

** Seeing two of its players, seniors Jessica Holler and Sarah Maher, capture first team All-America acclaim, while sophomore Sydney Leimbach landed honorable-mention acclaim. It was Holler’s second straight first-team nod and the fourth time she had been tabbed as an All-American.

** Seeing five representatives earn first- or second-team All-UAA recognition, highlighted by Holler’s selection as the league’s Most Valuable Player. Joining Holler on the first team were Sarah Maher and Sydney Leimbach, while senior Kathryn Trinka and sophomore Becky Breuer were second-team choices.

** Playing 11 contests against top-25 teams, finishing with a 7-4 slate in those affairs.  

** Having the senior trio of Jessica Holler, Sarah Maher and Kathryn Trinka help the program to a four-year record of 140-19.  During their collegiate tenures, Holler, Maher and Trinka were part of four NCAA Tournament teams, two of which advanced to the national semifinals and one that finished as national runner-up, and a pair of UAA championships.

** Leading the UAA and ranking third nationally in the D-III ranks with a .264 hitting percentage.

** Topping the league in opponent hitting percentage (.115), good for the No. 35 spot nationally. 

** Finishing No. 1 in the league and holding down the No. 9 position on the national scene in kills per set (13.7 kps).

** Enjoying an edge in hitting percentage in 34 matches (111 of last 120).

** Ranking second in the UAA and fifth among all D-III programs with a total of 1,862 kills.

** Finishing No. 1 in the UAA and standing 10th nationally with an average of 12.66 assists per set.  The team’s final total of 1,722 assists placed fourth nationally.

** Continuing to see the Woodruff PE Center provide the Eagles with a great home-court advantage.  Emory posted a 13-1 won-lost mark in home matches during the season, and over the past 13 years the Eagles have manufactured an impressive showing of 194-22 on their home floor (131-10 since 2008).

Jessica Holler capped off an outstanding career by earning AVCA First Team All-America honors for the second straight year.  The 6-foot-1 middle was a dominating force, both offensively and defensively, ranking first in the UAA and fourth nationally in hitting percentage (.404) while topping the conference ladder in total blocks with a 1.05 per-set average, good for the No. 46 position in the D-III ranks. Holler landed her fourth spot on the All-UAA First Team and was selected as the league’s Player of the Year, the seventh Eagle to earn that distinction. Tabbed as the UAA Player of the Week on five occasions, she put together 24 matches of double-figure kills and hit .350 or higher on 28 occasions.  Holler hung up her uniform firmly entrenched in a number of school categories including kills (9^th, 1,348), hitting percentage (2^nd, .385), total blocks (2^nd, 516), blocks per set (4^th, 1.03 bpgs) and service aces (20^th, 127). 

Senior Sarah Maher came through with a solid season that culminated with First Team All-America berth. Maher’s stellar all-around play was a key cog in the team’s success with the 6-foot right side placing second on the squad in kills (288), third in kills average (2.25 kps), third in attack percentage (.267, 12^th in the UAA) and third in digs average (2.86 dps, 15^th in the UAA).  A First-Team All-UAA selection for the second straight year, Maher chalked up 11 matches of double-figure terminations and 18 performances of 10 or more digs. Career-wise, Maher finds herself in a number of Emory's all-time categories including kills (13^th, 1,150), hitting percentage (18^th, .288) and digs (17^th, 925).

Sophomore Syndey Leimbach continued her ascension as one of D-III’s up-and-coming standouts, bringing home honorable mention All-America kudos.  The 6-foot-2 Leimbach was one of three players to appear in all 39 matches and stood second on the squad and second in the conference in hitting percentage (.342).  One of the Eagles’ three All-UAA First Team choices, she totaled eight outings of double-digit terminations.  Leimbach was an imposing defensive presence as well, averaging 0.73 blocks per set, good for ninth place among UAA players.

Kathryn Trinka closed out her career by logging 115 sets of action over 36 matches. Trinka pounded out 261 kills from her outside hitting post, ranking fourth on the team, and totaled eight contests of 10 or more terminations.  A Second Team All-UAA pick, Trinka finished 18^th on Emory’s all-time ladder with 1,010 kills and 12^th in attack attempts (2,773).

Sophomore libero Becky Breuer came on strong during the second half of the season and played an instrumental role in anchoring a strong defense. She averaged a team-high 4.04 digs per set, placing sixth among UAA players and seventh on the program’s seasonal list.  She registered 22 matches of double-figure digs, including six of 20 or more, and her final total of 424 was the school’s 12^th-highest seasonal mark. 

Honors and Awards