The No. 2-ranked Emory volleyball team staged a dramatic rally but came up short in its quest to advance to the NCAA Championships as it dropped a hard-fought battle to Hendrix College in the finals of the Mount Berry Regional.  The Warriors held off the Eagles to claim a 3-2 decision (25-23, 27-25, 21-25, 22-25, 15-13), raising their record to 28-8 while Emory closed out the campaign at 34-4.

Junior Jessica Holler turned in an all-around game for Emory, topping the squad with a season-high tying 15 kills while finishing with a .407 hitting percentage (15-4—27). Holler also tied for match honors with six blocks (0-6).  Junior Shannon Nugent hit .500 on the strength of seven terminations with no errors in 14 swings, and played a key defensive role with five blocks (0-5).  Freshman Karissa Dzurik was the other Emory performer to finish in double figures with 14 kills.  Senior setter Sydney Miles, playing in what proved to be her final match, doled out 47 assists, totaled eight kills and contributed eight digs.  Freshman Becky Breuer led all players with 25 digs.

Miles and Holler were the Emory representatives on the Mount Berry Regional All-Tournament Team

Emory outhit the Warriors, .243 (61-19—173) to .205 (69-30—190), and held a slim 11-10 advantage in total blocks.  Hendrix recorded 81 digs to Emory's 80.

Set 1 -- Emory hits .316 (14-2—38) but drops the opening set as the Warriors use seven kills by Sara Dyslin and six from MC Rogers in claiming a 1-0 match lead … A kill by Trinka gives the Eagles a 12-10 edge but Hendrix counters with a 3-0 run to take a one-point lead … The teams trade points before a kill by Jessica Holler knots the score at 16-16 … Hendrix  then responds with three straight points, with Sara Dyslin picking up two kills in that run, to take a 19-16 lead… Emory faces a 23-20 deficit, but a Dzurik kill followed by a Hendrix hitting error draws it to within one point … However, HC staves off the Eagles to win the set, the final point coming on a kill by MC Rogers, one of her game-high 21 on the night.

Set 2 – Hendrix jumps out to a 7-2 advantage and leads by a 10-5 count before the Eagles bounce back with a 5-1 charge, with Holler and junior Kathryn Trinka picking up kills, to creep to within an 11-10 margin … A 5-2 Hendrix spurt puts it up by four points, but a kill by junior Sarah Maher and block assists by Dzurik and Holler, key a 3-0 Emory run that cut the Warriors lead to 16-15 … Back-to-back kills by Miles puts the Eagles ahead, 21-19, but kills by Rogers and Samantha Stockdale knot the score … Down by a 25-24 margin, Emory scores the next two points and is serving for the set … However, HC closes out the game with three straight points to claim a 2-0 edge in the math.

Set 3 – Hendrix enjoys a three-point lead, 16-13, but a Nugent kill, block assists by Nugent and Maher and a termination by Maher spark a 4-0 run that put Emory up, 17-16 … After the Warriors tied the score, three kills by Dzurik spearhead a 5-1 Emory blitz that pushes it to a 22-18 advantage … Dzurik adds another termination as part of the team's final three points to give Emory its first set.

Set 4 – Emory sprints out to a 6-2 lead before the Warriors tied to match at 6-6 … Trailing by a 15-13 margin, the Eagles score four unanswered points, with Dzurik, Holler and Miles accounting for kills, to claim  a 17-15 lead … Hendrix battles back to grab a 20-18 edge, but the Eagles hang tough with a 4-0 run, with Nugent and Trinka coming through with a pair of block assists, to take a 22-20 lead … A Trinka termination followed by a Hendrix hitting miscue put the Eagles one point from tying the match, a Dzurik finishes it off with a kill.

Set 5 – A Maher kill caps a 3-0 Emory run and ties the deciding game at 7-7 … The Warriors get some space with five straight points, with Rogers coming with two kills in the stretch, to take a 12-7 advantage … Maher pounds out two kills as part of a 4-0 Emory charge that cuts its obstacle to 12-11 … Two straight points by HC puts it just one point from sealing the deal, but the Eagles counter with a well-placed Dzurik kill followed by block assists by Holler and Dzurik, to get back to within one point … However, Hendrix gets the final point to win the match.