The 2014 Emory volleyball team proved yet again to be a formidable force nationally in the Division III ranks, turning in a memorable season that culminated in the program’s third-ever appearance in the NCAA Championships title match.  The Eagles finished as national runners-up for the second time in five seasons, while advancing to the national semifinals for the fifth time in school history.  

The Eagles concluded the year with an overall record of 39-4, the eighth straight year and the 16^th campaign of 30 or more victories during the 19-year tenure of head coach Jenny McDowell. Overall, the team’s final win count represented the program’s 21^st consecutive winning campaign.  The squad’s victory total established a school season record, bettering the mark of 36 triumphs by the 2010 and 2011 teams.

Emory’s appearance in the NCAAs marked the 19^th straight year (20^th overall) that it landed a berth in the postseason.  The Eagles started their run in the national tourney by winning three matches at the St. Louis Regional, rolling to 3-0 decisions over Webster and Thomas More in their opening two contests before battling to a thrilling 3-2 (25-23, 19-25, 25-18, 25-27, 15-12) outcome over No. 7-ranked and host Washington University in the regional final.  Williams College was Emory’s foe in the quarterfinals of the Championships with the Eagles posting a 3-1 win.  In the semifinals, Emory held off a feisty No. 6-ranked UW-Stevens Point unit by a 3-1 count, sending it into the finals against Hope College.  After winning the first set, Emory was forced to play catch-up as the Flying Dutch captured the following two games.  Emory faced a 17-10 deficit in the fourth set, before clawing back with a 9-2 run that knotted the score at 19-19.  Hope would lead by a 22-20 margin, only to see Emory force a fifth set on the strength of a 6-2 charge that gave it a 26-24 win. In the decisive fifth game, Hope jumped out to a 7-0 lead and eventually notched a 15-8 victory.  Following its appearance at the NCAAs, Emory posts an all-time mark of 40-20 in postseason action, 40-19 under Jenny McDowell. 

The Eagles gained an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after winning the University Athletic Association Championships, their sixth-ever conference crown and fourth in the past six seasons.  Emory defeated Rochester (3-0) and Carnegie Mellon (3-0) in its opening two tests at the UAAs before coming away with a 3-1 win over Chicago in the title match.

In addition to advancing to the national finals and emerging as UAA champions, Emory volleyball enjoyed a number of other outstanding accomplishments including the following:

** Finishing the season ranked No. 2 in the final American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 Poll.  Emory has been ranked in the top 20 in every weekly poll conducted by the AVCA for the last 17 seasons

** Playing 12 matches against 11 teams that earned bids to the 2014 NCAA Tournament, posting a 10-2 record in those games.

** Playing 11 contests against top-25 teams, finishing with an 8-3 slate in those affairs including four wins over top 25 foes at the Cal Lutheran Invitational (Sept. 5-6).

** Seeing two of its players, senior Leah Jacobs and junior Sydney Miles capture first team All-America acclaim, while sophomore Jessica Holler and senior Kate Bowman were tabbed to the second and third teams, respectively.  Sophomore Sarah Maher garnered honorable-mention status on the All-America Team.

** Having Jenny McDowell selected as the AVCA South Region Coach of the Year.  In addition, McDowell, along with assistants Joseph Goodson, Helen Lin, Scott Shelley and Lauren LaRocque, were chosen as the UAA Coaching Staff of the Year

** Seeing McDowell post her 600^th career victory on October 5 with a come-from-behind 3-2 triumph over Carnegie Mellon

** Leading the UAA and ranking third nationally in the D-III ranks with a .275 hitting percentage, good for a seventh-place tie on the school’s seasonal chart

** Topping the league and holding down the No. 8 position on the national scene in kills per set (13.74 kps)

** Enjoying an edge in hitting percentage in 40 matches

** Leading all D-III programs with a total of 2,116 kills, the fifth-highest mark in program history

** Pacing the league and standing ninth nationally with an average of 12.73 assists per set

** Registering a total of 329.5 total blocks, good for first place in the UAA, second in D-III and sixth on the Eagles’ season ladder

** Ranking first in the UAA and 21^st among all D-III squads in blocks per set (2.14 bps)

** Continuing to see the Woodruff PE Center provide the Eagles with a great home-court advantage.  Emory posted a 13-0 won-lost mark in home matches during the season, and over the past 11 years the Eagles have manufactured an impressive showing of 169-19 on their home floor (106-7 since 2008).

Sydney Miles earned her third straight nod as a First Team All-American, the first player in program annals to earn that distinction, after ranking first in the UAA and 12^th nationally in assists (10.78 aps), while also averaging 2.12 digs and 0.56 blocks per set.  Named to the NCAA Championships All-Tournament Team, Miles was chosen as a First Team All-UAA honoree for the third consecutive year. Her play at the setter position helped the Eagles’ offense to a league-best .275 attack percentage, while also pounding out a league-leading 13.74 kills per set, good for eighth nationally.  Miles ended the year with 1,606 assists, third on the school’s seasonal chart, and her three-year total of 4,384 is third on the Eagles’ all-time list. 

Leah Jacobs was recognized for her outstanding season with AVCA First Team All-America kudos.   A First Team All-UA pick, the 5-foot-10 outside hitter played in 42 of the team’s 43 matches, leading the squad and ranking second among conference performers with a 3.74 kills-per-set average, with that mark good for 46^th place nationally.  She pounded out a club-high 554 terminations, good for second place on the Eagles’ seasonal chart, while her 1,332 attack attempts established a school mark.  The owner of a team-high 28 matches of double-figure kills, including six of 20 or more, Jacobs led or shared for team honors in that category in 26 contests.  Selected as the UAA Player of the Week on four occasions during the season, she shined in the postseason, averaging a team-best 4.00 kills per set over six matches.  She wound up her career 14^th on the school’s all-time chart with 1,047 kills.

Jessica Holler continued her stellar play in the middle, landing Second Team All-America recognition for the second straight season.  Despite missing nine matches during the midway point of the season, Holler, a First Team All-UAA pick, managed to lead the league with a .369 hitting percentage (335-78--696), which ranked 10th among D-III players and 12th on the program's seasonal ladder.   A three-time UAA Player of the Week in 2014, the 6-foot-1 Holler was a dominating defensive presence,  producing a conference-best effort of 1.10 blocks per game, good for the No. 24 spot among all D-III players.

Emory’s run to the national title match couldn’t have happened without the brilliant play of Kate Bowman, who made a seamless move to the libero position for her final collegiate campaign.  The 5-foot-10 Bowman established a school season record with 726 digs en route to claiming Third Team All-America honors.  One of two players to play in all 154 of the team's sets during that year, Bowman set an Emory mark with a 4.71 digs-per-set average that placed third on the UAA chart.   Chosen as the UAA Defensive Player of the Week on three occasions, she compiled 39 outings of double-figure digs including 15 matches of 20 or more.  Her defensive efforts helped limit opponents to just a .139 attack percentage with Emory ending the year enjoying an edge in that category in 40 matches.  Bowman ranks No. 1 all-time at Emory with career 1,511 digs.

Sarah Maher played a key role in the team’s success, earning Honorable Mention All-America recognition after blasting away for 365 terminations, good for second place on the club and fourth in the league.  No. 3 on the UAA list with a .315 attack percentage (365-100—842), she closed out the campaign eighth among conference players with a 2.61 kills-per-set showing, producing 15 matches with double figures in that department.  A Second Team All-UAA choice,  she was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA St. Louis Regional.

In addition to Jacobs and Bowman, other seniors closing out their collegiate careers included Cat McGrath and Olivia Volarich.  Despite missing the opening 17 matches of the year with an injury, McGrath bounced back in strong fashion, earning Second Team All-UAA acclaim after 2.37 kills per set while recording a .400 attack percentage (178-32—365).  Named to the NCAA St. Louis Regional All-Tournament Team, McGrath finished second on the squad’s score sheet in blocks average (0.73 bps).  She closed out her tenure as an Eagle fifth in career attack percentage (.356, 666-160—1423) and 15^th in blocks assists (190).   Volarich, a four-year member of the program, made her mark as a solid server.  In 2014, she was fourth on the team with 31 service aces and ranked 14^th in the UAA with a 0.33 aces-per-set average.

Honors