Emory Volleyball Defeats Brockport In NCAA Regional Final - Advances To NCAA Quarterfinals

Emory Volleyball Defeats Brockport In NCAA Regional Final - Advances To NCAA Quarterfinals

From Emory University Athletics

The No. 5-ranked Emory volleyball team punched its ticket to the quarterfinal-round of the NCAA D-III Championships Sunday afternoon with a victory over the College of Brockport in the finals of the NCAA Brockport, New York Regional.  The Emory won its 11th straight match and raised its record to 33-5 following a 3-0 decision (25-22, 25-17, 25-18) decision over the Golden Eagles who finished out the year at 34-4.

Post Match Interview With Jenny McDowell and Jessica Holler

Emory hit .236 (40-14—110) on the afternoon and held host Brockport to .094 (36-25—117), the 34th time this year it held an advantage in that category. The Golden Eagles held a 52-51 edge in digs while Emory enjoyed a decided 11-3 bulge in total blocks.

Senior Jessica Holler was the lone Eagle to finish with double-figure kills, pounding out 13 successful attack attempts (her 23rd effort of the season with 10 or more) to go along with a .545 hitting mark (13-1—22).  Holler also chalked up a match-high six (2-4) total blocks, her seventh outing of six or more this year. Sophomore Morgan McKnight was next up on the team's scoresheet with nine kills while senior Sarah Maher totaled eight terminations and 11 digs. Sophomore Sydney Leimbach was a defensive presence with five blocks (0-5), as was classmate Becky Breuer who led all players with 14 digs.  Junior Hannah Billings dished out 20 assists and totaled six digs.

Holler was named the Region's Most Outstanding Player after averaging 4.00 kills and 1.6 blocks in 10 sets of action over the weekend.  Holler posted an outstanding hitting percentage of .485 (40-7—68) over the three matches.  Billings was the other Emory representative on the All-Regional Team.

Emory will meet No. 2-ranked Calvin College (30-1) on Thursday (Nov. 17) in the NCAA Quarterfinals at the Kolf Sports Center on the UW-Oshkosh campus with the start time slated for 12:30 pm (CST). The winner advances to Friday's semifinals with that match starting at 5:00 pm.

Set 1 – Emory finds itself in a hole for the first half of set, facing deficits of 10-4 and 16-10 … Holler and Maher each come through with two kills apiece and combine for a block assist to key a 9-0 surge that puts Emory ahead, 19-16 … Emory's play at the net force the Golden Eagles to three hitting miscues that are part of a 4-1 Emory spurt that puts it one point from clinching the game  … Three straight Brockport points cuts Emory's lead to two points but Holler and Leimbach block an attack attempt by the home squad to close out the set …  Holler finishes with six kills and Maher with four terminations and four digs.

Set 2
 – Emory trails by a 9-6 count before scoring 11 of the next 13 points to take a 17-11 lead … Leimbach teams with Maher and McKnight for a pair of block assists and adds a kill to help fuel the charge while Holler terminates a pair of attempts and adds a block solo … A 4-2 counter by the Golden Eagles cuts Emory's edge to four points, 19-15, but the Eagles stymie the comeback bid with three straight points … Maher closes out the set with a kill to put Emory ahead, 2-0, in the match … McKnight has four kills in the set while Holler and Leimbach finish with three blocks each.

Set 3 – Emory hits .353 (14-2—34) in what proves to be the final game of the match … Holler totals five kills with McKnight and Maher each contributing three … A key 8-2 spree by Emory, highlighted by three kills by Maher and one from Holler, pushes Emory to a 16-9 cushion .. After the Golden Eagles account for the next two points, Emory uses a 6-1 run, keyed by two kills each from McKnight and Holler, to take command of the set at 22-12 … Brockport stays alive with a 6-2 run but a nifty dump by setter Mady Arles gives Emory the win and the regional title.