The Emory volleyball team will open the 2017 season as the No. 2-ranked Division III program. The Eagles were slotted at that position in the preseason Division III Top 25 poll released by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) earlier today.
Emory was the recipient of one first-place vote and registered a total of 1,395 points. Holding down the No. 1 spot is defending national champion Calvin College with 62 of the 63 first-place votes cast and 1,573 points. Washington University is third with 1,358 points while the University of Northwestern-St. Paul (1,323 pts.) and Southwestern University (1,291 pts.) hold down the Nos. 4 and 5 slots, respectively.
Emory is scheduled to play five matches against squads that are ranked in the Preseason Top 25 Poll. After playing at No. 11 Wittenberg on Sept. 2, the Eagles will host to No. 7 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Friday, Sept. 16, and No. 13 Juniata the following evening.
Emory will meet University Athletic Association rival Washington University on Oct. 14 during the league's Round Robin II at Chicago before tangling with 20th-ranked Hendrix on the campus of Birmingham Southern on Saturday, Oct. 22. In addition to the five nationally-ranked squads on the docket, Emory will square off against 10 programs that participated in the 2016 NCAA D-III Tournament.
A year ago, Emory made its 21st consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament where it advanced to the quarterfinals of the Championships. The Eagles closed out the campaign with an overall record of 33-6 and a No. 2 national ranking.
Head coach Jenny McDowell enters her 22nd year at the helm of the Emory program with a number of key pieces returning from last season's squad, headlined by junior middle Sydney Leimbach, who claimed Honorable Mention All-America honors after finishing second on the team and on the UAA ladder with a .342 (279-73—603) hitting percentage. A defensive presence at the net, the 6-foot-2 Leimbach averaged 0.73 blocks per set, ranking second on the team and ninth on the conference chart. Sophomore outside hitter Morgan McKnight, 5-foot-10, will provide some punch to the offensive attack after registering 2.24 kills per set, with that mark placing fourth on the club and among the top 20 among the UAA leaders. Junior Becky Breuer is an established performer at the defensive specialist/libero positions and is coming off a strong 2016 season that saw her garner Second Team All-UAA acclaim after averaging a team-high 4.04 digs per set, good for sixth place on the league ladder.
The Eagles open their season the weekend of Sept. 1-2 when they play three matches at the Wittenberg Invitational.
Emory Volleyball No. 2 In AVCA Preseason Poll
Posted: Aug 15, 2017