Post Match Press Conference


The Emory volleyball team saw its 2017 season come to an end Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the NCAA D-III Championships in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Ithaca College topped the Eagles, 3-1 (13-25, 25-17, 26-24, 28-26), raising its overall record to 25-8 while the Eagles wrapped up their season at 30-7.

Emory hit .164 (43-21—134) for the match compared to Ithaca's .225 (58-26—142).  The Bombers' defense proved formidable, picking up 61 digs to the Eagles' 49, while Emory finished with a 10-8 edge in total blocks.

Emory, the No. 2 seed, got off to a rousing start against the No. 7 seeded Bombers, hitting .318 (10-3—22) in the opening set, while holding Ithaca to a -.065 (8-10—31) mark.  However, Ithaca turned the tables on Emory over the final three, hitting .306 (50-16-111) and holding the Eagles to .133 (33-18—112).

Sophomore Sara Carr tied for match honors with13 kills, her 22^nd performance of double-figure kills this season.  Carr also chipped in 11 digs and a pair of block assists.  Freshman Leah Saunders rounded out the team's double-digit attackers, hitting a solid .381 on the strength of 10 terminations (her 17^th double-digit showing of the season) with two miscues in 21 swings. Junior Carly Saitman led all players with eight total blocks (0-8), her second-highest career total, while junior Mady Arles dished out 20 assists and registered three of the team's six service aces. 

After splitting the first two sets, the Eagles found themselves down, 11-17, in the third game before rallying for a 9-3 run, capped by a Saunders kill, to knot the score at 20-20. A kill by sophomore Morgan McKnight gave the Eagles a 24-23 edge, but Ithaca closed out the game by capturing the final three points to take a 2-1 lead in the match.

Emory saw Ithaca roll out to a 15-9 cushion in the fourth set but responded with six unanswered points to pull even.  Emory matched a 3-0 Ithaca spurt, tying things up at 18-18.  A kill by the Bombers' Joelle Goldstein put the Liberty League reps ahead by a 20-18 count, but back-to-back terminations by junior Karissa Dzurik allowed Emory to tie the score at 20-20 before an Ithaca attack error put the Eagles ahead, 21-20. A kill by Saunders put Emory one point from tying the match, but a subsequent service error by the Eagles tied the score, 24-24. Emory fought off match point following a kill by Carr, and Emory once again enjoyed set point after Arles stymied Ithaca with a service ace. However, the Bombers made the most of back-to-back blocks of Emory attacks and a kill by Caroline Gerulskis to come away with the victory.