Senior libero Elyse Thompson helped the No. 1-ranked Emory volleyball team to its second straight UAA title and the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament over the weekend.

The 5-foot-7 Thompson contributed stellar defensive play to the Eagles' cause, averaging a team-high 3.62 digs over 13 sets of action. In addition, she doled out a team-high 10 service aces.

After dishing out five of Emory's 15 service aces in a sweep of Brandeis, Thompson led the squad with 16 digs and totaled three aces in a five-set triumph over Washington University in the semifinals. In the title showdown against No. 2-ranked and host Chicago, Thompson once again paced the club with 27 digs, a number of them that were spectacular saves that kept Emory alive in rallies, in a come-from-behind 3-2 verdict over the Maroons. It represented her second-highest mark of the season and 10th overall with 20 or more digs.

Heading into the NCAA Tournament, Elyse is averaging 4.41 digs per set, good for fifth place among UAA performers, while her 0.56 per-set average in service aces tops the conference chart.