The volleyball team defeated Eastern University (Pa.) in the NCAA Quarterfinals, and is now one of four teams left standing in the NCAA tournament, which began with 64 squads. The Eagles will play in the NCAA semifinals for a chance to win the NCAA Championship for the second time in school history.
In the Thursday afternoon match, the Emory Eagles battled the No. 17-ranked Eastern University Eagles, which entered the match with a record of 32-4. Eastern University advanced to the quarterfinals after winning the Huntingdon, Pa. Regional last weekend, hosted by Juniata College. The Eastern Eagles defeated Johns Hopkins University (Md.), Christopher Newport University (Va.), and Stevenson College (Md.) in succession, with each victory coming in straight sets. By winning the regional tournament, the Eastern Eagles advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for only the second time in school history.
Entering Thursday's match, the two volleyball squads had played one another four times, with Emory holding a 4-0 series record. The two teams last played in 2012 at the Juniata College Wid Guisler Invitational, where Emory defeated Eastern 3-1.
The match between the two Eagles squads began at 12:30 p.m. Quickly, Eastern jumped out to a 16-11 lead and took control of the set. Led by freshman Jessica Holler's four kills, Emory battled back and went on a 14-7 run to capture the set by a close margin of 25-23.
Emory and Eastern began the second set exchanging points, and they were knotted up at 6-6. The Emory volleyball squad took control of the set after that point, dominating all aspects of the game en route to a 14-5 run, which put Emory up 20-11 on the set. Led by five kills from junior Leah Jacobs and four kills from Holler, Emory managed to put away the second set, winning 25-15.
The Emory Eagles began the third set strong, jumping out to a 16-8 lead, which had them positioned to easily put away Eastern to win the match. However, the Eastern Eagles displayed their toughness by going on a run of their own, which pulled them within three at a score of 22-19. Emory exhibited the resilience that brought them to the quarterfinals, and won the set 25-20.
The match featured a balanced attack from Emory, as both the offense and defense performed at a high level in the sweep of Eastern. Leading the offensive barrage was Holler, who finished with team-high 12 kills. Holler also displayed her defensive presence, thwarting the Eastern offense with a seven blocks. Also, having great offensive games were Jacobs who finished with double-digit kills, and sophomore Sydney Miles who had 33 assists. Defensively, the Eagles had three players finish with double-digit digs – juniors Cat McGrath and Kate Bowman, and sophomore Taylor Erwin. Emory's stifling defense held Eastern to a hitting percentage of .102, while the offense managed to hit .218 against a talented Eastern squad. Emory also led in total blocks 10-3, and in total digs 56-55.
On Wednesday, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) honored multiple Emory volleyball players. AVCA honored Miles as a First Team All-American, Holler as a Second Team All-American, and McGrath and Bowman as honorable mentions. In addition, Miles, Holler, Bowman, and McGrath were all members of the AVCA All-South Region, with Holler capturing Region Rookie of the Year.
In the NCAA Semifinals, the Eagles will face No. 1 seed Calvin College (Mi.), who is 33-1 on the season. The Calvin Knights reached the quarterfinals by winning the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, defeating Penn State-Behrend, Mount Union, and No. 10 Wittenberg. In the quarterfinals, the Knights defeated UMass-Boston 3-1 to advance to the semis. The Eagles and Knights have only played once before, during the 2010 season when they battled for the NCAA National Championship. The Knights prevailed in that match 3-1.
The semifinals will occur on Friday Nov. 22 at 5 p.m.
– By Ethan Morris
Photo courtesy of Emory Athletics
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