UAA Round Robin II Website
The Emory volleyball team returns to conference play this weekend (Oct. 13-14) when it competes at the University Athletic Association Round Robin II. The Eagles will tangle with four league foes, starting with Saturday matches against Case Western Reserve University (12:30 pm) followed by a 2:30 p.m. contest against the University of Chicago. On Sunday, Emory will battle Brandeis at 10:00 am before closing out with a bout against Washington University at 2:00 pm. Serving as the host of the UAA Round Robin II will be Carnegie Mellon.
Emory began the week as the No. 12-ranked D-III program in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 Poll.
THE COACHES - Emory head coach Jenny McDowell (Georgia, '89) is in her 23rd year at the helm of the Eagles' program and claims a school and career mark of 728-165. She has 19 campaigns of 30 or more wins, including last year's slate of 30-7, and has directed the program to 22 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament. She has steered the Eagles to five berths to the national semifinals and has a national championship to her credit in 2008.
Karen Farrell (Brandeis, '93) is in her second stint and 17th season as the head coach of the Case Western program. Heading into the weekend she sports a school record of 340-236. Now in her 23rd year as a head coach, Farrell claims a career slate of 417-341.
In her fifth year of calling the shots for Chicago is head coach Sharon Dingman. Dingman has compiled a won-lost mark of 108-48 while guiding the Maroons to three trips to the NCAA Tournament. In 28 seasons as a head coach, Dingman stands 510-384.
Alesia Vacari (Springfield, '06) is in her fifth year as the head coach at Brandeis. Prior to her current post, Vacari spent a three-year stint at the head coach at Simmons College.
Washington University Head Coach Vanessa Walby (UW-Whitewater, '02) checks in with a five-year school record of 135-34. Walby, who has guided the Bears to four NCAA Tournament appearances, will enter the UAA RRII with an 11-season career mark of 298-105.
RECORDS – Emory takes a 13-5 overall record, including a 2-1 conference mark, into the Round Robin II. On Sunday, the Eagles captured 3-0 wins over Sewanee and Oglethorpe before coming out on the short end of a 3-1 outcome at No. 20 Berry on Tuesday.
Prior to meeting Emory, Case Western will bring an overall slate of 13-8 (1-2 UAA) into a matchup against New York University. In their most recent outing, the Spartans hosted and swept Thiel back on Oct. 3.
Chicago, ranked No. 8, is riding a hot streak with a nine-match win streak that has boosted its overall record to 21-2 (3-0 UAA). Last Saturday, the Maroons bettered No. 15 UW-Eau Claire, 3-2, before earning a four-set triumph over Millikin.
Brandeis heads into the weekend 8-10 overall and 0-3 in the conference. The Judges snapped a five-match losing streak on Tuesday with a 3-0 victory over Regis (MA).
No. 9-ranked Wash U is 15-4 in overall action, 2-1 in the UAA. The Bears have won their last four contests, three coming last weekend at the WashU Invitational with one of those a 3-2 verdict over No. 2 Colorado College.
THOMPSON CONTINUES CLIMB UP DIGS LADDER – In the Berry match, junior Elyse Thompson moved past Sydney Miles (2012-15) and into 10th place on the school's all-time list with 1,056 digs.
Heading into the weekend, Thompson is one of two Eagles (Mady Arles) to have played in all 63 of the team's sets, and her 4.46 digs-per-game average ranks fourth among UAA performers. She has totaled double-figure digs in 16 matches and has five outings with 20-plus digs to her credit.
NOTES – In UAA statistics through Oct. 9, junior Morgan McKnight ranks seventh among league players with an average of 3.04 kills per set … McKnight has produced seven matches with double-figure kills … Senior Sydney Leimbach has three or more blocks in her last five outings and her per-set average of 1.07 is fourth among UAA performers … Career-wise, Leimbach's 226 total blocks slot her 19th all-time at Emory … Sophomore Finn Wilkins is second in the conference with a 1.23 blocks-per-set average … Emory is second in the UAA in kills per set (13.11) and stood 27th in the Division III ranks in that category through Oct. 9 … Senior Karissa Dzurik leads the squad with 11 matches of double-figure kills … Heading into the UAA Round Robin II, Dzurik has double-digit terminations in four of her last five contests …
Mady Arles has doled out 1,624 assists during her Emory career and holds down the No. 9 spot on the program's all-time list … Emory has outhit 13 opponents this season … Karissa Dzurik has 34 career outings with double-figure kills to her credit … In the blocks department, the Eagles are tied for third in the league and 23rd nationally (2.05 bps).