The No. 4-ranked Eagles volleyball team captured their fifth and sixth straight wins Friday evening, topping a pair of opponents on the opening day of the Emory Tournament.  Emory started off with a 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-15) decision over Brenau University before scrapping for a come-from—behind 3-2 verdict (24-26, 25-10, 18-25, 25-20) against Randolph-Macon College.  Emory now stands 16-1 on the campaign.

The junior duo of Cat McGrath and Leah Jacobs paced the team's offensive effort against Brenau, accounting for 24 of the squad's 43 kills. McGrath led all players with 13 kills and finished the contest with a blazing .750 hitting percentage (13-1—16).  Jacobs rang up 11terminations and recorded a fine hitting performance of .474 (11-2—29).   For the match, Emory turned in a .423 (43-10—178) attack percentage compared to BU's .0.74 (24-18—81). 

The Eagles had their hands full in the nightcap against a feisty Yellow Jackets squad.   In a defensive battled that featured outstanding defensive play both in the back row and at the net, the two teams clashed for over two hours in a grueling contest. Junior Kate Bowman tied for match honors with 12 kills and added a dozen digs, her sixth double-double of the season.  Rounding out the double-figure Emory terminators were Jacobs and McGrath with 11 and 10, respectively, with McGrath adding five total blocks (1-4) in the cause.  Sophomore Taylor Erwin totaled 24 digs, her seventh effort of 20 or more defensive saves this season, in helping limit RMC to a .096 hitting percentage (51-34—178), though the Yellow Jackets did manage to post a 15-8 advantage in total blocks. It marked the second time this year that Emory and Randolph-Macon battled to a five-set conclusion with the Eagles emerging victorious on both occasions.

Emory will close out a 12-match homestand on Saturday when it battles Cornell College at 10:00 a.m., followed by a 2:30 p.m. tussle against Lynchburg College.