The No. 7-ranked Emory volleyball team opened conference play on a successful note on Saturday, coming away with two wins at the University Round Robin I on the campus of Brandeis University. The Eagles swept both Rochester (25-17, 25-21, 25-18) and New York University (25-23, 25-19, 25-20) to raise their overall record to 10-3.

Emory registered a .375 (46-13--88) hitting percentage against the Yellowjackets of Rochester and were paced by the duo of senior Sydney Leimbach and junior Morgan McKnight who combined to hit .667.  Leimbach checked in with an attacking effort of .750, pounding out nine kills with no errors in 12 swings, while McKnight totaled eight terminations with just one miscue in 12 attempts for a .583 effort. Leimbach also led all players with four total blocks (4-0).  Senior Karissa Dzurik paced the balanced Emory attack with 10 kills, her seventh double-figure effort of the campaign, with sophomore Leah Saunders putting away nine attack opportunities. Junior Elyse Thompson tied for match honors with 10 digs, helping the Eagles to a 37-29 advantage in that department.

The Eagles finished with an edge in hitting percentage for the 10th time this season when it closed out the NYU contest with a .257 (40-14--101) mark compared to the Violets' total of .208 (34-13--101). Leimbach was solid again, tying for the team lead with nine kills and registering a .412 (9-2--17) attack percentage.  McKnight chipped in nine terminations while Dzurik and Saunders each added eight.  Senior setter Mady Arles doled out 29 assists and recorded seven digs.  The Eagles, holding a 2-0 edge in the match, faced an 18-20 deficit in the third set before rattling off seven unanswered points to secure the victory. 

Emory closes out its participation at the UAA Round Robin I on Sunday with a noon contest vs. Carnegie Mellon.