The No. 8 ranked Emory University volleyball team opened the 2022 season with a decisive straight set rout over regional opponent LaGrange College. The Eagles put together a 25-11, 25-9, 25-6 score line in what could not have been a better start to the year.

Freshman Elly Beshears was the star of the show as she led the team in kills, recording ten in her first ever collegiate match on a hitting percentage of .750 (10-1--12). Freshman Olivia Rabinowitz started the match as the teams setter and was excellent in the role, as she led the team with 24 assists to go along with two service aces in just two sets played. In her first match with the Eagles since 2019, junior Amanda Meyer showed out recording eight kills on a team-leading .778 hitting percentage (8-1--9). Senior Lauren Bandera, drawing the start as the libero, kept the Eagles in points all night as she led the team with eight digs.

The Eagles dominated the Panthers in nearly every statistical category throughout the night. Emory held a 45-7 advantage on kills and also out dug their opponents 30-10. The Eagles also put up an impressive seven service aces from five different players.

Emory came out of the gate quickly putting three points on the board before LaGrange was able to notch their first. Some early jitters from the Eagles saw the Panthers bring the score back to within one at 6-5 but Emory had an answer going on a 9-1 run with Meyer and sophomore Lily Martin each posting three kills over that stretch. The Eagles went on cruise control the remainder of the set with Beshears putting on the exclamation point with a kill to close the first set.

The second and third set were much of the same for the Eagles with Emory out-scoring the Panthers by a 50-15 margin. The Eagles were unstoppable, forcing LaGrange into hitting -.105 (7-13--57) for the match. 

The Eagles return to action this Saturday when they travel to Birmingham, AL where they are set to play two games, the first against the Birmingham-Southern Panthers at 12:00 PM before taking on the Covenant Scots at 2:30 PM.