The journey that was the 2011 Emory volleyball season came to an end Sunday afternoon as the Eagles lost in the championship round of the Newport News NCAA Regional.  Emory dropped a 3-0 decision (21-25, 19-25, 23-25) to host and No. 6-ranked Christopher Newport, ending the team's record at 36-5.  With the win, the Captains upped their mark to 36-4 and earned a spot in next weekend's quarterfinal round of the NCAA D-III Championships.

The Eagles entered today's action hitting .287 on the year, but an effective block put up by the Captains held the Eagles to just .171 (45-23—129).  Emory finished with a 63-54 edge in digs but CNU enjoyed  a decisive 12-4 margin in total blocks. 

Senior Amelia McCall was the most productive offensive player for Emory, peppering CNU for a match-high 17 kills along with a .400 attack percentage (17-3—35).  It was her 27^th outing of double-figure kills during the year and her final total of 489 terminations places her fifth on the school's seasonal ladder.  Junior Breanah Bourque posted double digits in kills with 12, her 22^nd performance of 10 or more terminations this year, and she closed out 2011 with a school-record .426 hitting percentage.   Senior Natalie Schonefeld, in what proved to be her final match as the team's setter, doled out 36 assists while contributing a team-high 13 digs.

Emory appeared to be rolling early in the first set, racing to a 9-4 advantage following a kill by McCall.  The Eagles still held a 15-12 advantage before CNU went on an 8-1 spree to take a 20-16 lead.  After a kill a senior Jessica McAlvany followed by a CNU hitting error cut the deficit to two points, a put-away by the Captains' Chelsea McClure followed by an ace from McClure put the home team up by a 22-18 count.  A kill by McCall drew Emory to within 23-21 but CNU scored the next two points to claim the first set. 

CNU enjoyed a 5-2 cushion early in the second set before a 6-3 Emory spurt, keyed by a pair kills by Bourque knotted the game at 8-8.  Still deadlocked at 13-13, three kills by McCall highlighted a 4-1 Emory run, pushing the visitors to a 17-14 advantage.   Another termination by McCall enabled the Eagles to lay claim to a slim 19-18 edge but CNU stunned the No. 3-ranked Eagles with a 7-0 charge, sparked by three kills from Bailey Jensen, to come away with a 25-19 win along with a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.

A pair of kills each by Bourque and McCall helped Emory to a 6-3 lead in the third set but the Captains rallied to score seven of the game's next nine points to take a 10-8 lead.  The Eagles trailed by a 13-10 margin before regrouping for back-to-back kills by junior Alena Ransom and Jessica McAlvany to nudge ahead by a 21-20 margin.  Another put-away by Ransom gave Emory a 22-21 margin but CNU finished off the match on a 4-1 spurt, ending the Eagles' campaign.

McCall and Schonefeld were Emory's representatives on the Newport News Regional All-Tournament Team.

Regional All-Tournament Team
Mallory Carter, Randolph-Macon
Michelle Meehan, Salisbury
Amelia McCall, Emory
Natalie Schonefeld, Emory
Abby Hogge, CNU
Jessie Heavenrich, CNU
Bailey Jensen, CNU (Most Outstanding Player)