Five members of the No. 2-ranked Emory University volleyball team have been chosen to the 2015 All-University Athletic Association Team. Two players were afforded first-team acclaim, while two landed second-team and one honorable-mention recognition. The all-league teams were selected by the conference coaches. Emory enters the upcoming NCAA Tournament with an overall record of 32-3 and is coming off a runner-up performance at the UAA Championships this past weekend.
Senior Sydney Miles (Oklahoma City, OK) highlighted Emory's selections by being tabbed as a first-team honoree for the fourth straight year. The 6-foot-1 setter has played an instrumental role in the high-powered Emory attack that is hitting a Division III-best .299. Miles stands No. 2 in the league and third nationally with an 11.54 assists-per-set average with that mark ranking fourth on the program's seasonal ladder. Miles has doled out 50 or more assists on four occasions this season and has been tabbed as the league's Setter of the Week five times. Her 1,315 assists represent the 11th-highest Emory seasonal mark while her career effort of 5,699 is good for the No. 2 spot all-time at the school. Her effective all-around play has seen her post a .341 hitting percentage and averages of 2.11 digs and 0.46 blocks per set. Miles becomes just the second player in program history to garner four first-team nods on the All-UAA Team, joining Natalie Schonefeld (2008-11) in that exclusive club.
Junior middle Jessica Holler (Roswell, GA) captured her third straight first-team nod, with her play resulting in leading all D-III players in hitting percentage with a .427 effort, with that mark currently tops on the school's seasonal chart. One of her outings saw her hit .800 on the strength of 13 kills with just one error in 15 swings in a 3-0 victory over NCAA Tournament member Randolph-Macon College. Named the conference's Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 21, she also earned a spot on the Emory Invitational All-Tournament Team. A formidable defensive presence at the net as well, she leads the team ranks ninth on the UAA chart as the conference leader with a 0.72 blocks-per-set average. Career-wise, Holler holds down the No. 9 position on the program's all-time list with 359 total blocks.
Junior Sarah Maher (Orange, CA) landed her second straight second-team berth, ranking No. 2 on the team and eighth in the league in kills per set (2.82 kps), and ninth among conference players with a .282 hitting percentage. Maher has appeared in 33 contests and has 16 matches of double-figure terminations to her credit, including a season-high 17 in a 3-1 decision at then No. 1 Calvin (Sept. 4). Her 2.68 digs-per-set average is second on the team and among the top 20 in the UAA, and she has churned out a total of 10 matches of double-doubles (kills/digs).
Junior Kathryn Trinka (North Bay Village, FL) was recognized by the UAA for the first time, earning a spot on the second team. The 6-foot-1 Trinka has been a vital cog in the Eagles' offensive attack with her team-high 3.75 kills per set placing her second in the league and 54th nationally. Named the UAA's Offensive Player of the Week twice this year, Trinka has produced 29 performances of 10 or more kills and claims the top three attack totals by an Emory player this year. Her 427 kills place her in the No. 15 spot on the Eagles' seasonal ladder and she has either led or tied for the team lead in that category in 27 matches.
A catalyst of a strong Emory defense that ranks second in opponent hitting percentage (.121), freshman Becky Breuer (Aurora, IL) was selected to the honorable mention team. Breuer averages a team-high 4.55 digs per game from her libero spot, good for fourth place in the conference. Her 487 digs are the league's fourth-highest mark and good for the No. 8 position on the school's season list. Breuer has registered 27 matches of double-figure digs seven performances of 20 or more.
Emory opens NCAA Tournament action on Thursday (Nov. 12) when it meets Greenville College in the opening round of the Mount Berry, Georgia, Regional on the campus of Berry College. Match time is slated for 3:00 pm.