The No. 7-ranked Emory volleyball team's bid to play for the NCAA Division III national championship came up short Friday evening as the Eagles fell to No. 1-ranked Calvin College in the semifinals. The Knights boosted their record to 34-1 following a 3-0 decision (25-17, 25-21, 25-22) over Emory who closed out its year at 34-5. Serving as the host site for the national championship is Hope College located in Holland, Michigan.
Calvin concluded the match hitting .333 (44-10—102) and was led by sophomore outside hitter Maggie Kamp who totaled 20 kills and hit .447. The Eagles posted an attack percentage of .206 (34-12—107) and saw freshman Jessica Holler post a team-high nine terminations while hitting .316 (9-3—19). Holler also topped the squad with four (1-3) total blocks. Junior Cat McGrath contributed eight kills and was Emory's most efficient hitter with a .353 percentage (8-2—17). Juniors Leah Jacobs and Kate Bowman added seven kills apiece with Bowman coming up with 10 digs.
In the opening set, Emory tied the score at 10-10 before seeing Calvin score the next four points to take a 14-10 advantage. The Eagles stayed within striking distance when it trailed by a 16-14 margin, but a 3-0 Knights' burst, keyed by a pair of kills by Laura Danhoff, put them up by a 19-14 count. A Calvin attack error allowed Emory to draw to within 20-17, but the Knights closed out the set with five straight points to take a 1-0 lead in the match. The Knights hit .400 (12-2—25) to Emory's .179 (11-6—28) and were led by Kamp's four terminations while Bowman, Holler and McGrath all had three kills for Emory.
Calvin never trailed in the second game, though it could never break away from the determined Eagles. Emory trailed by an 11-8 margin before tying it when sophomore setter Sydney Miles came up with a kill. With the scored knotted at 12-12, the Knights accounted for four of the game's next five points to lay claim to a 16-13 lead. Back-to-back kills by Kamp boosted Calvin's advantage to 21-16, but Emory was the beneficiary of a couple of Knights' miscues to narrow the gap to 21-18. Following a Calvin kill, block assists by Miles and McGrath, followed by a service ace by Miles, kept Emory in the hunt and trailing by just two points at 22-20. After the teams exchanged points, a service error by Emory and solo block Calvin's Danhoff closed out the set and upped the Knights' advantage in the match to 2-0.
Emory Volleyball Loses To No. 1-Ranked Calvin College In NCAA Semifinals -- Closes Out Year At 34-5
Posted: Nov 22, 2013
Playing to keep its season alive, a kill by McGrath, followed by her ace, gave Emory a 6-4 lead in the third set. The Knights countered with a 5-1 run, with Kamp coming up with two terminations in that stretch, to take a 9-7 lead. The Eagles and Calvin then split the next eight points before back-to-back kills by Bowman knotted the score at 13-13. With Calvin up by a point, a kill by Holler followed by an ace from freshman Sarah Maher put the Eagles up by a 15-14 margin. Emory still led by a 19-18 score after Holler recorded a successful attack attempt and Calvin had an attack error. However, the Knights picked up three of the next four points to edge ahead, 21-20. After a McGrath kill knotted the score, the teams exchanged points. Calvin would go on and close out the set and the match with three straight points.