A total of six members of the No. 1-ranked Emory University volleyball team have been chosen to the 2010 All-University Athletic Association Team.  Four players were afforded first-team acclaim, while two were honorable-mention picks. The all-league teams were selected by the conference coaches.  Emory enters the upcoming NCAA Tournament with an overall record of 31-4 and finished the conference with a 10-1 slate following its championship run last weekend in Cleveland.

Highlighting the Eagles’ school-record tying four first-team selections was senior outside hitter Amelia McCall (Montgomery, AL), who was also named the league’s Most Valuable Player.  The 5-foot-10 McCall, a first-team pick for the second straight year, has turned in an exceptional all-around season, ranking first on the team and second among league players with a 3.47 kills per set average.  McCall also ranks 10^th on the conference chart with a 31.1 attack percentage and ranks 20^th with a 2.82 digs per set effort.  Named the UAA Player of the Week on two occasions and The Import Sports/AVCA National Player of the Week once, she has chalked up 26 outings of double-figure kills including a pair of career-high 20-termination performances against Chicago (Oct. 17) and Washington University (Nov. 6) in the UAA Championship match. In league contests, McCall put up some impressive numbers, topping the loop in kills (4.19 kps) while ranking fourth with a 35.1 hitting percentage. Her 406 kills this season currently ranks 11^th on the Eagles’ seasonal ladder while her career mark of 970 is good for the No. 13 spot at Emory.  She is the second consecutive and fifth Emory player to be chosen as the conference MVP joining Lulu Sewell (2002), Courtney Rose (2005), Janet Bunning (2007) and Natalie Schonefeld (2009).

Junior Natalie Schonefeld (Riviera, TX) was tabbed as a first-team honoree for the third straight year after averaging 11.1 assists per set in helping the squad to the No. 1 spot among league members in hitting percentage in both overall (.308) and conference (.334) play.  Her total of 1,268 assists is good for the No. 9 spot on the school’s season list and she was among the top 15 nationally in that category in the most recently released NCAA statistics. She has doled out 50 or more assists on five occasions this year including a pair of 57-assist performances, tying her career high. She has also helped out defensively, recording 14 matches of double-figure digs. She is No. 2 all-time at Emory with 4,094 assists to her credit.

Junior Jessica McAlvany (Roswell, GA) captured her second straight first-team nod after ranking second on the team and seventh in the UAA with a 3.19 kills per-set average. The 6-foot McAlvany was steady in conference affairs as well, ranking sixth in kills (3.14 kps) and ninth in hitting percentage (.292).  She has produced 22 matches of double-figure kills, eight of which came in 11 UAA matches, and has hit 30 percent or better in 14 outings. 

Rounding out the quartet of first-team selections, sophomore middle blocker Breanah Bourque (Houston, TX) has made her presence felt both offensively and defensively.  The 5-foot-11 Bourque paces the team and is No. 2 in the UAA with a classy 36.0 hitting percentage.  Bourque ended conference play in the top spot in that category, blasting away to the tune of 40.1 percent. She has also contributed 3.04 kills per set, ninth among league players, and she is third in blocks (0.98 bps).  She owns 17 matches of double-digit kills, including a career-high 19 against NCAA Tourney member Mount St. Joseph, and has been credited with seven matches of five or more total blocks. Her team-high 113 total blocks is good for 14^th place on the school’s seasonal list.

Emory’s honorable-mention choices were junior Ali Wright (Matteson, IL) and sophomore Alena Ransom (Tampa, FL).  Wright, 5-foot-10, is just one of two players to have played in all 120 of the team’s sets this year, and has made the most of her hitting attempts with her 32.7 attack percentage tying for sixth among conference players.  In addition, the 5-foot-10 Wright is second on the team and tied for ninth in the league with a 0.77 blocks per-set average.  Ransom, 5-foot-9, enjoyed a strong second half of the season and heads into the NCAA Tournament fifth in the UAA in hitting percentage (.328).  She put up a similar average in conference matches with her 32.6 percent mark good for the fifth spot on the league list.

Emory will serve as a host for NCAA Regional action and will meet Piedmont College in a first-round battle on Friday, Nov. 12,  at the Woodruff PE Center. Match time is slated for 8:00 p.m.