Coming off a Wednesday win at Lee University, the Emory volleyball team faces a busy stretch, starting on Sunday (Oct. 7) when it ventures to Oglethorpe University for matches against Sewanee (3:00 pm) followed by a 6:00 pm contest against the host Stormy Petrels. On Tuesday, the Eagles head to Berry College for a 6:00 pm bout against the nationally ranked Vikings.
Emory enters Sunday's action as the No. 12-ranked D-III program in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 Poll.
After posting a 2-1 record at the University Athletic Association Round Robin I last weekend, the Eagles battled to a 3-1 victory over Lee, raising their overall record to 11-4. Emory employed a balanced attack in the win with sophomore Leah Saunders registering a team-high 12 kills, her fifth double-figure effort of the year, while registering a season-best hitting percentage of .370 (12-2-27). Seniors Sydney Leimbach and Karissa Dzurik, along with sophomore Maggie Rimmel, all contributed 10 successful attack attempts with Rimmel's effort a career high.
Entering the weekend, Emory is hitting .235 as a team, good for the No. 2 spot among UAA squads, while seeing the opposition hit .157. The Eagles enjoyed a .255 vs. .204 attack percentage advantage in the Lee match, the 11th time this year finishing with an edge over their opponent. Emory also stands second on the conference ladder in both kills (13.32 kps) and blocks (2.15 bps).
Junior Morgan McKnight tops the team with a 3.20 kills-per-set average, good for a third-place tie among UAA performers, and has seven matches to her credit with 10 or more terminations. Dzurik is second on the squad with an effort of 2.81 kills per game with Saunders close behind at 2.58. Senior setter Mady Arles is second in the league and tied for 31st nationally in assists average (10.08 aps), with her 42 against Lee representing the sixth occasions this season where she doled out 40 or more. Sydney Leimbach ranks among the UAA's top blockers with her per-set average of 1.09 third on the league list. Junior Elyse Thompson still paces the team in digs, averaging 4.53 per set, fourth among UAA players. Thompson's team-high 22 digs in the Lee match was her fifth effort this season of 20 or more.
Led by first-year Head Coach Nancy Mueller-Culver, the Tigers of Sewanee stand 14-4 heading into a Saturday match at Berry. Sewanee saw a three-match win streak end last Sunday when it dropped a 3-0 verdict to Birmingham Southern.
Oglethorpe will play host to Centre College on Saturday looking to snap a five-match losing streak that has dropped its record to 3-14. In the Stormey Petrels most recent outing, Head Coach Joe Goodson saw his club come up short to Berry on Wednesday, losing by a 3-0 margin (17-25, 23-25, 17-25).
Prior to meeting Emory, No. 21 Berry will host Sewanee on Saturday and Centre on Sunday. The Vikings are in the midst of a nine-match winning streak that has boosted its record to 12-2. Berry is guided third-year Head Coach Caitlyn Moriarty.