The Emory volleyball team gears up for its first taste of conference play this Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 29-30) when it takes part in the University Athletic Association Round Robin I. The Eagles will tangle with three league foes, starting with Saturday matches against the University of Rochester (noon) followed by a 4:00 p.m. contest against New York University. On Sunday, Emory will battle Carnegie Mellon at noon. Serving as the host of the UAA Round Robin I will be Brandeis University.
Fans wishing for more information can go to the following web site:
http://www.brandeisjudges.com/tournaments/wvball/2018-19/index
Emory begins the weekend as the No. 7-ranked D-III program in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 Poll.
THE COACHES - Emory head coach Jenny McDowell (Georgia, '89) is in her 23rd year at the helm of the Eagles' program and claims a school and career mark of 723-163. She has 19 campaigns of 30 or more wins, including last year's slate of 30-7, and has directed the program to 22 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament. She has steered the Eagles to five berths to the national semifinals and has a national championship to her credit in 2008.
Ladi Iya (Evansville, '01) is in her 11th season as the head coach of the Rochester program. Heading into the weekend she sports a school and career record of 185-182.
In his first year of calling the shots for NYU is head coach Andrew Brown (Ramapo, '11). Brown, who was appointed in Janaury of 2018, came to the Violets after a three-year stint as the head coach at Union College where he compiled a record of 66-38. Now in his fourth year as a head coach, Brown claims a career slate of 77-42.
Carnegie Mellon Head Coach Kim Kelly (Gettysburg, '92) checks in with a 14-year school record of 290-181. Kelly, who has guided the Tartans to two straight NCAA Tournament appearances, will enter the UAA RR1 with a 23-year career mark of 540-263.
SERIES RECORDS – The Eagles hold a 29-14 edge in the all-time series vs. Rochester. Emory and the Yellowjackets last squared off at the 2017 UAA Round Robin I, with the Eagles prevailing, 3-0.
Emory has been victorious in 36 of the 49 meetings against NYU, including a 3-0 triumph at the 2017 UAA Round Robin II.
Emory stands 34-11 all-time vs. Carnegie Mellon. CMU topped the Eagles, 3-2, at last year's UAA Round Round II before Emory captured a five-set victory in the semifinals of the UAA Championships.
RECORDS – Emory will take an 8-3 overall record into the first weekend of conference play. The Eagles last played Sept. 14-15 at the East-West Challenge hosted by Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, dropping decisions to No. 13 Juniata and No. 3 CMS before coming away with a 3-1 win over UT-Dallas.
Rochester has gotten off to a blazing start and will meet Emory with a won-lost ledger of 14-2. After winning two of three matches at the Hampton Inn River Hawk Classic hosted by Susquehana University last weekend, the Yellowjackets suffered a 3-0 setback to RIT on Tuesday.
NYU will bring an overall mark of 11-4 into its UAA opener vs. Carnegie Mellon. The Violets split contests last weekend at the Ramapo Classic, losing to Middlebury, 0-3, before bettering Ramapo College, 3-0.
After enduring an arduous early season schedule that saw it drop five of its first seven matches, Carnegie Mellon has won nine straight to raise its record to 11-5.
ARLES CAPTURES All-TOURNEY HONOR – Senior Mady Arles landed a spot on the East-West Challenge All-Tournament Team after averaging 9.92 assists, 2.15 digs and 1.15 blocks (second on the team) while seeing action in all 13 sets over the three matches.
In the 3-1 triumph over UT-Dallas, Arles doled out a career-high 48 assists and chipped in a pair of service aces and nine digs. In the opening contest of the Challenge, a five-set battle vs. No. 13 Juniata, she totaled 44 assists and a career-high 10 (1-9) blocks.
Through matches played Sept. 24, Arles is second in the UAA and 23rd nationally is assists average (10.26 aps).
THOMPSON CONTINUES CLIMB UP DIGS LADDER – Junior Elyse Thompson totaled 54 digs in the three matches at the East-West Challenge, bringing her career total to 962, good for 15th place on the program's all-time chart.
Heading into the weekend, Thompson is one of two Eagles (Mady Arles) to have played in all 39 of the team's sets, and her 4.79 dig-per-game average ranks fourth among UAA performers. She has totaled double-figure digs in all 11 matches and has four outings with 20-plus digs to her credit.
LEIMBACH A DEFENSIVE PRESENCE – Senior Sydney Leimbach saw her most extensive action of the young season at the East-West Challenge, competing in all 13 sets and averaging a team-high 1.38 blocks per game. In the Juniata match, she registered a career-high 11 (0-11) blocks, the high-water mark by a conference player this season and tying the school's third-highest individual match total. Leimbach holds down the No. 2 spot in the UAA with an average of 1.33 blocks per set.
NOTES – In UAA statistics through Sept.24, junior Morgan McKnight tops the league with an average of 3.52 kills per set … McKnight has produced six matches with double-figure kills … Sophomore Finn Wilkins stands as the UAA leader in blocks (1.48 bps) and recorded a career-best eight (1-7) in the Juniata match at the East-West Challenge … Mady Arles has doled out 1,391 assists during her Emory career and holds down the No. 10 spot on the program's all-time list … Emory has outhit eight opponents this season … The Eagles chalked up a total of 20 blocks in the Juniata match, tying the school's fifth-highest mark … Senior Karissa Dzurik has 29 career outings with double-figure kills to her credit … Sophomore Maggie Rimmel tied her career high with eight terminations in the UT-Dallas contest … Emory is second among UAA teams and 20th in D-III in kills per set (13.36 kps) … In the blocks department, the Eagles stands second in the league and 18th nationally (2.33 bps).
EMORY CAPTAINS – Serving as the captains for the 2018 Emory volleyball team will be seniors Mady Arles, Sydney Leimbach and Mila Barzdukas.