Five members of the No. 5-ranked Emory University volleyball team have been chosen to the 2016 All-University Athletic Association Team.  Three players were afforded first-team acclaim, while two landed second-team recognition.   The all-league teams were selected by the conference coaches.  Emory enters the upcoming NCAA Tournament with an overall record of 30-5 and is coming off a first-place performance at the UAA Championships this past weekend.

Senior Jessica Holler (Roswell, GA) highlighted Emory's selections by being tabbed as the conference's Most Valuable Player, the seventh member of the program to earn that distinction and the first since 2012 (Breanah Bourque).  Named as a first-team honoree for the fourth straight season, the 6-foot-1 Holler has played a key role in the high-powered Emory attack that is hitting a league-best .268, with the mark good for the No. 3 spot nationally in the D-III ranks.  Holler, who leads the conference and is 10^th nationally with a hitting mark of .397, has totaled 21 matches of double-figure kills.  A model of consistency, she has produced 27 matches of a .300 or higher hitting percentage, including 20 of .400 or better.  In addition, she stands third among the conference leaders in total kills (356) and blocks per set (0.99 bps) and places fourth with a 3.10 kills-per-game average.  Named by the UAA as Player of the Week on four occasions this year (10 during her career), Holler ranks 10^th all-time at Emory with 1,297 kills and is second in hitting percentage (.383).

Senior Sarah Maher (Orange, CA), who also garnered a first-team nod, has played in 113 of the squad's 121 sets, and is third on the team and 11^th in the conference in hitting percentage (.272).  The owner of nine matches of double-figure terminations, her 2.24 kills-per-set average is 19^th on the league chart. A versatile player whose passing is vital, she has successfully received over 93 percent of opposing serves this year.  She is averaging 2.83 digs per set, 15^th among league players and has 15 matches of double digits in that category. She has recorded six double-doubles this season, most recently a 10-kills, 10-digs contest in a 3-1 win over nationally ranked Juniata (Oct. 22).  This is Maher's initial berth to the first team after being chosen to the second team as a sophomore and junior.  A look at the program's all-time lists reveal that Maher is 13^th in kills (1,115), 16^th in attack percentage (.290) and 19^th in digs (879). 

Sophomore Sydney Leimbach (Atlanta, GA) rounded out Emory's first-team selections. The 6-foot-2 middle stands second on the team, second in the UAA and 27^th nationally with a hitting percentage of .358.  She has posted seven matches of double-figure kills including a pair of career-high tying 15 terminations efforts (vs. Chicago, Oct. 15 & vs. Juniata, Oct. 22).  She has hit .300 or better in 21 matches, including all three affairs at this past weekend's conference championship, where she hit a combined .370 (20-3—46) in helping the Eagles to a first-place finish. In addition to her offensive totals, she has been a force defensively, averaging 0.72 blocks per set, with the mark good for ninth place on the league ladder. Earlier in the year, she came through with a career-high nine blocks vs. Eastern, the high-water mark by an Emory player this year.

Sophomore Becky Breuer (Aurora, IL) was afforded a second-team berth with her outstanding play from the libero position helping the team hold opponents to a .110 hitting percentage, the best mark in the UAA.  The 5-foot-10 Breuer tops the club and stands fifth among league leaders with a 3.96 digs per set.  She has produced 19 matches of 10 or more digs, including five of 20 or more.  At the UAA Championships, she averaged 4.50 digs per game.

Senior Kathryn Trinka (North Bay Village, FL) was voted to the second team for the second straight year with her offensive output resulting in a 2.34 kills per set. Trinka has totaled seven matches of 10 or more kills including a season-high 17 vs. Carnegie Mellon (Oct. 15) during the UAA Round Robin II. Trinka is on the verge of reaching 1,000 career kills with her mark of 985 placing 19^th on the school's all-time ladder.

Emory opens NCAA Tournament action on Friday (Nov. 11) when it meets the College of New Rochelle in the opening round of the Brockport, New York Regional.  Match time is slated for 3:00 pm.