The Emory University volleyball team is one eight teams remaining in the hunt for the 2016 NCAA D-III national crown. The Eagles will venture to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in search of the program's second-ever national title, where they will battle Calvin College in a national quarterfinal on Thursday (Nov. 17) at 1:30 pm (EST). Serving as the venue for the championships will be the Kolf Sports Center Field House on the UW-Oshkosh campus.
The lineup for this week's action is as follows:
Thursday, Nov. 17 (times listed are EST)
Calvin vs. Emory – 1:30 pm
Northwestern –St. Paul vs. Eastern – 4:00 pm
Southwestern vs. Tufts – 6:30 pm
Washington University vs. Mary Washington – 9:00 pm
Friday, Nov. 18
Winner of Calvin/Emory vs. winner of Northwestern-St. Paul/Eastern – 6:00 pm
Winner of Southwestern/Tufts vs. winner of Wash U/Mary Washington – 8:30 pm
Saturday, Nov. 19
National Championship Match – 8:00 pm
The Eagles of head coach Jenny McDowell earned the University Athletic Association's automatic bid to this year's NCAA Tournament, the 21st straight season (22nd overall) that the program will be playing in the postseason. Emory, winners of its last 11 matches and 33-5 on the year, is coming off a championship performance at the Brockport, New York Regional. The Eagles opened with a 3-0 triumph over the College of New Rochelle before coming away with a 3-1 decision over Clarkson University in the semifinals. In the title contest of the Regional, the Eagles swept host Brockport en route to claiming their 10th berth in the national quarters.
McDowell checks into the NCAA Tournament with a school and career record of 685-152. She has led the program to five appearances in the national semifinals, a national championship in 2008 and national runner-up finishes in 2010 and 2014. She has registered a 45-20 ledger in NCAA Tournament action (Emory's all-time mark in the NCAA Tournament is 45-21).
The Knights of Calvin College claim a 30-1 won-lost ledger and are ranked No. 2 nationally. Calvin advanced to the quarterfinals after hosting and winning the Grand Rapids, Michigan Regional, defeating Millikin in the finals. The only setback that the Knights have experienced this year came against Hope College in the championship match of the MIAA Tournament. Calvin is guided by 15th-year head coach Amber Warners who has a logged a school record of 454-70. Warners directed the Knights to national titles in 2010 and 2013.
EMORY – CALVIN SERIES – Calvin has won three of the four meetings between the schools with two of those victories coming in NCAA play. The Knights topped Emory, 3-1, in the 2010 national championship match in St. Louis, and came away with a 3-0 verdict in the 2013 national semifinals in Holland, Michigan. Emory recorded its first win in the series in 2015, topping the Knights, 3-1, at the Calvin Labor Day Weekend Tournament. Just a couple of weeks later, Calvin repaid the favor, defeating the Eagles, 3-1, at the Emory National Invitational.
EMORY AND THE NCAA FIELD – Emory played a total of 14 regular-season matches against 12 teams that advanced to this year's NCAA Tournament Championship. The Eagles enjoyed a fair amount of success against this year's field, registering an 11-3 won-lost mark. The following demonstrates how Emory has done this year vs. teams that made the NCAA Tourney.
St. Thomas: 1-0
UW-Oshkosh: 1-0
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps: 0-1
Cal Lutheran: 0-1
Mary Washington: 1-0
Hendrix: 1-0
Carnegie Mellon: 2-0
Washington University: 2-0
Eastern: 0-1
Juniata: 1-0
Randolph-Macon: 1-0
Clarkson: 1-0
EAGLES RACKING UP THE HONORS -- The following is a list of various honors that Emory players have received this season:
Emory Classic All-Tournament Team (Sept. 2-3)
Karissa Dzurik
Jessica Holler
Emory National Invitational All-Tournament Team (Oct. 28-29)
Jessica Holler (MVP)
Sarah Maher
Hannah Billings
UAA Player of the Week
Karissa Dzurik – Sept. 6
Jessica Holler – Sept. 19
Andie McKinnon – Sept. 26
Jessica Holler – Oct. 3
Jessica Holler – Oct. 31
Jessica Holler – Nov. 7
Jessica Holler – Nov. 14
All-UAA First Team
Jessica Holler – Most Valuable Player
Sydney Leimbach
Sarah Maher
All-UAA Second Team
Becky Breuer
Kathryn Trinka
All-UAA Honorable Mention
Sarah Porter
AVCA All-South Region
Jessica Holler
Sarah Maher
Sydney Leimbach
AVCA All-American
Jessica Holler – First Team
Sarah Maher – First Team
Sydney Leimbach – Honorable Mention
Brockport, New York Regional All-Tournament Team
Jesica Holler – Most Outstanding Player
Hannah Billings
Import Sports/AVCA National Player of the Week
Jessica Holler – Nov. 8
HOLLER SHINES AT NCAA REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – Jessica Holler was named the UAA Player of the Week for the fifth time this season after earning Most Outstanding Player honors at the Brockport, New York Regional.
Holler played in all 10 of the team's sets over the three contests and paced the squad in kills (4.00 kps), hitting percentage (.485) and blocks (1.60 bps). Holler led or shared for the team lead in kills in all three matches, including an 18-kills outing in a 3-0 win over Clarkson that saw her hit .424 (18-4--33) and add seven blocks (1-6). In the regional final against host Brockport, Holler led all performers with 13 terminations, her 23rd match of double-figure kills, hit .545 (13-1--22) and contributed six blocks (4-2).
She leads the UAA and ranks fourth nationally in hitting percentage (.404). In addition, Holler stands second among the conference leaders in total kills (396), fourth in kills per set (3.16) and first in blocks per set (1.04 bps).
BREUER GIVES EMORY DEFENSE A BOOST – Sophomore Becky Breuer ranks ninth on the conference chart with a 3.93 digs-per-set average. The 5-foot-10 libero has come up with 21 matches of double-figure digs in her 29 outings, including five with 20 or more.
At the Brockport Regional, she averaged a team-high 3.70 digs-per-set, leading the club in that category in two of the three matches. She compiled a team-best 15 digs (four service aces as well) in the win over Clarkson and closed out the weekend with a squad-high 14 over Brockport. Her play helped limit the three opponents to just a .106 attack percentage.
Career-wise, Breuer finds herself in the No. 2 spot on the program's all-time ladder in digs per set (min. 200) with an average of 4.28 per game. Her 393 digs this year is 17th on the school's seasonal chart and her per-set average of 3.93 stands seventh.
EMORY ATTACK A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH -- Heading into the NCAA Championships, the Eagles post a league-leading attack percentage of .266, good for the No. 3 slot nationally. Emory has hit .300 or better in 13 contests this season, and has enjoyed an edge in that category in 34 matches (111 of the last 119).
With Holler leading the way at .404, Emory claims five of the league's top 18 leaders in attack percentage with sophomore Sydney Leimbach (.354, 28th nationally) holding down the No. 2 slot while senior Sarah Maher (.269), freshman Morgan McKnight (.230) and senior Kathryn Trinka (.225) stand 12th ,17th and 18th , respectively.
Holler has produced 30 matches of a .300 or higher hitting percentage, including 23 of .400 or better.
EMORY SENIORS A WINNING TRIO – This year's senior class of Jessica Holler, Sarah Maher and Kathryn Trinka have enjoyed a great deal of team and individual success during their Emory careers, and are looking for a big final weekend as their days in an Emory uniform wind down.
Heading into the NCAA Championships, the three seniors have compiled an astounding won-lost record of 140-18 (.886), which includes four NCAA Tourney bids, two berths in the national semifinals, one national runner-up finish and two UAA crowns.
Each of the trio have etched themselves in the Emory record books in various career categories with Holler ranking ninth all-time in kills (1,337), second in hitting percentage (.386), 16th in kills per set (2.71 kps), 14th in attack attempts (2,677), eighth in block solos (96), second in block assists (414), second in total blocks (510) and fourth in blocks per set (1.03 bps).
Maher finds herself in the No. 13 position on the Eagles' career ladder with 1,138 terminations. Her 2,816 attack opportunities are 11th while her .289 hitting percentage slots her 17th. Finally, she has worked her way into the program's all-time top 20 with her 907 digs good for the No. 17 position.
Trinka cracked the 1,000 career-kills plateau last weekend and now has 1,006 to her credit, the 18th-highest mark in school annals. Her 2,753 attack attempts are 12th.
NOTES – Holler's .714 hitting percentage against Washington University in the semifinals of the UAA Championships represented the high-water mark by an Emory player this season … Freshman Morgan McKnight has fifth double-figure performances this season with 10 or more kills …Hannah Billing's 30 assists against Clarkson was her second-highest mark of the season … Sydney Leimbach is ninth on the league ladder in blocks (0.73 bps) … Emory has played 11 matches against teams ranked in the AVCA Top 25, registering an 8-3 record in those contests … Sophomore Mady Arles doled out a personal-best 27 assists in the Clarkson match … Holler has hit .400 or higher in her last six matches and posts an attack percentage of .524 (75-11—122) in that stretch.