The No. 1 nationally ranked Emory volleyball team closed out the East to West Battle this past weekend at Washington University of St. Louis (Mo.) on Sept. 13 and 14. The Eagles lost their first match, but ultimately bounced back to win the next two.
Emory dropped their first match on Friday afternoon to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (CMS) (Calif.). Emory lost the first set 25-18, racking up just nine kills. They almost turned the match around in the second set, logging 10 kills, but ultimately lost the set 26-24. To complete the sweep, CMS registered 14 kills and beat Emory 25-18 in the third set.
Rebounding from their first loss of the season, the Eagles evened their tournament record on Friday evening by sweeping Juniata College (Pa.), a performance that made Head Coach Jenny McDowell proud.
“I love how we responded in the next match,” McDowell said. “It says everything about our team.”
Emory won the first set 25-18, registering 13 kills. They carried this momentum into the next two sets, winning them 25-17 and 30-28, with eight and 16 kills, respectively. Sophomore outside hitter Tara Martin led the match in kills, producing 12 with a .417 hitting percentage (12-2-24).
Emory closed out the tournament with a convincing sweep of California Lutheran University (CLU) on Saturday, with set wins of 25-20, 25-21, 25-17 and a .261 hitting percentage (47-17-115).
Senior outside hitter Morgan McKnight led the match in kills with 13, and Martin finished closely behind with 11. The Eagles held a 58-43 margin in digs, but CLU recorded nine blocks to Emory’s four.
“Our main goal is positivity and energy,” McKnight said. “When we play with a lot of energy and we play with a passion for the game, as we usually do, we play really well.”
After their performance at the start of the season, McDowell remains confident about her team.
“I’m excited about where we are,” McDowell said. “To go eight and one with the toughest schedule in the country says a lot about our team and the way they prepared this summer.”
The Eagles will return to the court on Sept. 21 and 22 at the University Athletic Association Round Robin I at Brandeis University (Mass.).
