The 2011 Emory volleyball team maintained its reputation as one of the premier D-III programs, enjoying a season that featured many accomplishments both on a squad and individual basis.  And while the team's quest for a spot among the final eight teams vying for the coveted national crown fell one match short, the Eagles impressed their fans and observers with an exciting style of play that will remain etched upon those who both witnessed and who took part in those highlights.

For the record, Emory finished 2011 with an overall record of 36-5, tying the 2010 club for most wins in school annals.   The 36 triumphs represented the program’s 13^th campaign of 30 or more wins during the 16-year tenure of head coach Jenny McDowell and marked the school’s 18^th consecutive winning campaign.  

In addition to the impressive final record, Emory volleyball engineered many other accomplishments including:

** Earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the 16th consecutive year.  While hoping to earn another shot at hosting regionals following 2010's extemely successful endeavor, the Eagles were sent packing to the Newport News Regional that was hosted by Christopher Newport.  After dispatching Richard Stockton and Randolph-Macon by 3-0 scores in the first two rounds, Emory ran into a gritty group from CNU who ended the Eagles' season by a decisive 3-0 margin. 

** Concluding the regular season ranked third nationally and owning the No. 8 spot in the final poll as conducted by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.  The Eagles have been ranked in the top 20 in every weekly poll by the AVCA for the last 15 seasons.

** Rattling off 23 straight victories (Sept. 3 - Oct. 8) that tied the 1994 team for most consecutive wins.  During that impressive streak, Emory captured 69 of 76 sets from the opposition.

** Ranking prominently on the national scene in a number of statistical categories including 4^th in kills per set (13.8 kps), 4th in assists per set (12.43 aps), 5th in hitting percentage (.284) and 32nd in blocks per set (2.14 bps). 

** Having two members of the program achieve landmark milestones -- Head coach Jenny McDowell with her 500th career victory (vs. Maryville on Oct. 8) and setter Natalie Schonefeld who become the school's all-time leader in assists (vs. Berry, Sept. 24).

** Having three players bring home All-American acclaim -- Natalie Schonefeld, Breanah Bourque and Amelia McCall. 

** Playing a total of 11 matches against teams that were ranked in the top 25 and finishing 8-3 in those encounters. The Eagles defeated four squads that were ranked in the top five at the time of the match with a 3-2 decision over No. 2-ranked Washington University (Oct. 16) the highest ranked foe that it beat during the year.

** The Woodruff PE Center provided Emory with a definite home-court advantage with the squad recording a 17-1 slate.   Over the last eight years, the Eagles stand an impressive 124-16 in home matches (61-4 since 2008).

** During the regular season, playing a total of 13 matches against 10 teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament and recording an 11-2 effort in those affairs.

** Emory finished runner-up at the UAA Championships, dropping a five-set battle to Washington University in the title match.  It marked the eighth straight year that the Eagles and Bears had met in the finals.  Emory finished the UAA portion of the schedule with a 9-1 record, and now owns a 49-5 ledger in conference affairs since the 2007 season.  

Amelia McCall closed out her career in fine fashion, nailing down AVCA Second Team All-America honors while earning First Team All-UAA acclaim for the third straight campaign.  She finished the year with 489 kills, good for the No. 5 spot on the school's seasonal ladder, and her 3.94 kills-per-set average topped the UAA, ranked 24th nationally and was No. 3 on Emory's seasonal chart.  The owner of 27 matches of double-figure kills, including three of 20 or more, McCall established a school seasonal mark with 1,278 attack attempts.  Career-wise, she finished No. 4 on the school's all-time list with 1,534 kills and totaled 4,090 attack attempts, the most in school history.  McAll logged a total of 523 sets, second most in Emory history, and she tied for the No. 11 spot with 154 matches.  She rang up a total of 73 matches of double-figure kills. 

Senior setter Natalie Schonefeld was another senior who made the most of her final season of action, bringing home First Team All-America honors for the second time in her career.  The 5-foot-7 Schonefeld played in 38 matches and finished No. 2 in the UAA and No. 8 nationally in assists with her 11.01 per-set average placing her seventh on the Eagles' seasonal ladder.  She was afforded First Team All-UAA recognition for the fourth straight season, the program's first-ever player to garner first-team status all four years of her career, An All-South Region pick for the fourth straight season, Schonefeld became the school's all-time leader in assists during the second set of a match against Berry (Sept. 24). She chalked up five matches of 50 or more assists in 2011 and wound up her career with a total of  5,732 assists to her credit.

Junior middle Breanah Bourque was a stellar performer and earned her first berth on the AVCA All-America First Team.  The 5-foot-11 Bourque established a  school seasonal record with a hitting effort of .427 (406---79) that led the UAA and was good for third place nationally.  She totaled 406 kills, tying for 15th on the school's seasonal list, and manufactured 22 matches of double-figure kills.   Bourque posted 23 matches of hitting .400 or higher and she finished second on the squad and fourth among UAA players with a 3.36 kills-per-set average, good for 19th place on the school's seasonal chart.  In addition to her formidable offensive numbers, she was a solid defensive presence at the net, ranking No. 2 on the team and 8th in the UAA in blocks (0.82 bps). She was a First Team All-UAA honoree for the second straight season.

Senior outside Jessica McAlvany competed in her third and final year as an Eagle and garnered Second Team All-UAA recognition.  The 6-foot-1 McAlvany  played in 38 of the team's 41 matches and averaged 2.30 kills per set, totaling eight matches of double-figure kills. She proved to be the team's most productive servers and registered a club-high 47 service aces.  
Career-wise, McAlvany finished  with 1,105 kills, good for 11th place on the school's all-time list and ranked 12th on the Eagles' career ladder with a 2.89 kills-per-set average. She posted 54 career outings of double-figure kills.

The return of junior middle Alex Duhl to the lineup gave Emory a boost.  After missing the 2010 season rehabbing a shoulder injury, the 6-foot Duhl landed Honorable Mention All-UAA kudos after playing in 36 matches and ranking second on the team and fifth among UAA players with a .327 hitting percentage (167-44--376).  In addition, she topped the team and tied for fifth in the league in total blocks (0.87 bps).

A pair of Emory veterans, Ali Wright and Kelsey Freeman, closed out their four-year careers helping the program to 141 wins, two UAA titles and one national crown. Wright played in a total of 127 matches and ranked eighth on Emory's all-time list in total blocks (303) and ninth in block assists (232).  Freeman concluded her stint as an Eagle play appearing in 48 matches and recording 84 kills. 

In addition to McDowell ringing up her 500th career win, she was also named by the AVCA as the 2001 South Region Coach of the Year, the fourth time in her career that she had been tabbed for that honor (2004, 2005, 2008, 2011).