2019 Emory Volleyball Schedule
The Emory University volleyball program has released its schedule for the 2019 season, with the Eagles playing 14 matches against 13 opponents who competed in last season's NCAA D-III Tournament.
"Every year we look to compete against as many of the top programs that we possibly can, and this year's schedule that has been put together certainly meets that objective," stated Emory Head Coach Jenny McDowell. "We'll be matching up against some of the premier teams from different parts of the country which will make it exciting for both our players and fans."
The Eagles will play a total of 16 regular-season home matches, starting the weekend of Aug. 30-31 when they host the Emory Classic. Among the three foes that the team will face is Johnson and Wales (Aug. 30, 7:00 pm) of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. The Wildcats landed a berth in last year's national tourney while concluding the campaign with an overall mark of 33-2 and a No. 11 national ranking. Other Classic foes include Guilford College (Aug. 30, 4:30 pm) and Sewanee (Aug. 31, 1:30 pm). Emory then plays its next nine contests on the road, beginning with the Berry National Invitational, with the Eagles playing three matches over two days (Sept. 6-7) including battles against NCAA Teams Christopher Newport and the host Vikings (26-4, #21 ranking in 2018). The Eagles advanced to the 2018 Championships after playing their way to first place at the Mount Berry Regional at Berry's Cage Center. An interesting weekend (Sept. 13-14) awaits Emory when it ventures to Saint Louis, Mo., and the campus of Washington University to compete at the East-West Battle. The Eagles will face a stern three-match gauntlet in the Gateway City with outings against 2018 NCAA Teams Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (27-4, #8 ranking), Juniata (28-4, #3 ranking) and Cal Lutheran (18-12). Emory winds up the road swing, Sept. 21-22, when it travels to Brandeis for the first of three University Athletic Association Robins, capped off by a meeting against Carnegie Mellon, a NCAA Regional finalist last season.
Emory will host the UAA Round Robin II on October 6 with its matches coming against Washington University (noon), who advanced to the second round of last year's postseason while finishing 25-8, and New York University (2:00 pm). The Eagles then eye three straight South Region foes, starting with an October 10 home date against Birmingham Southern. The Panthers have competed in the last two NCAA Tournaments and are coming off a 2018 season that saw them log a final mark of 25-7. After a road endeavor to Covenant College (Oct. 15), followed by a home match against Hendrix College on Oct. 18, the Eagles pack their bags for a trip to Case Western Reserve for the UAA Round Robin III (Oct. 20) where they will tangle with the host Spartans and another NCAA Tournament member in Chicago (29-5, #13 ranking).
The final two weekends of the regular season feature a pair of tournaments at the Emory's Woodruff PE Center. The Eagles will play four matches at the Emory Invitational (Oct. 25-27), starting with a Friday affair against St. Mary's College (IN) starting at 5:30 pm. The following day Emory will take on Roanoke College at 11:00 am, followed by a 4:00 pm clash against UW-Whitewater, who advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament while finishing with a won-lost mark of 25-8. The Eagles' last match that weekend will take place on Sunday against Susquehanna in a 1:30 pm start. A talent-packed field will descend upon Atlanta, Nov. 1-2, when the Eagles host the Emory National Invitational. The Eagles open the National Invitational with their second meeting of the campaign against Berry on the first night of action before meeting Wittenberg (NCAA 2nd Round, 25-3) and Washington & Lee (NCAA Tourney) on Saturday.
The UAA Championships will be held Nov. 8-9, in Chicago, with the NCAA Tournament beginning with regional play on campus sites, Nov. 15-17. The NCAA Championships will be held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Nov. 21-23.