From Emory University Athletics
The No. 5-ranked Emory volleyball team split a pair of matches on the opening day of play at the University Athletic Association Round Robin II. The Eagles began with a hard-fought 3-1 decision over No. 19-ranked Carnegie Mellon (25-18, 22-25, 29-27, 25-20), before the University of Chicago notched a 3-1 win (18-25, 25-22, 25-20, 27-25), ending a 15-match Emory win streak. The Eagles stand 19-4 in overall play, 4-1 in conference contests. Serving as the host site of the Round Robin II is Brandeis University.
In the match vs. the Tartans, Emory finished with a slight edge in hitting percentage, .183 (59-29—164) vs. .175 (45-17—160). The Eagles enjoyed an 82-66 margin in digs while CMU posted an 8-7 edge in total blocks. Senior Kathryn Trinka led all players with a season-high 17 kills, which tied her fourth-highest career total, and closed out the match with a .455 attack percentage (17-2—33). Senior Sarah Maher chalked up 13 terminations, her sixth double-figure effort of the season, while freshman Morgan McKnight rang up a season-high 11 successful attack attempts. Sophomore Becky Breuer came through with a season-high 27 digs (her third-highest career mark) and added three service aces, as did freshman Sarah Porter and sophomore Mira Grinsfelder.
Chicago became just the fourth team to outhit the Eagles this season, finishing with a mark of .227 (54-22—141) to Emory's .215 (52-21—144). The Maroons held a 69-59 margin in digs while Emory recorded nine total blocks to UC's four. Leimbach and senior Jessica Holler accounted for 28 of the team's 52 kills, with Leimbach finishing with a career-best 15 and Holler contributing 13, her 15th double-digit outing of the campaign. Holler also added a match-high five (2-3) total blocks.
Emory vs. Carnegie Mellon
Set 1 – Emory gets out of the gates slowly and sees the Tartans score five of the game's first six points … Trailing by a 9-4 margin, the Eagles respond with a 10-1 charge that sees Maher account for five kills … CMU stays within striking distance a faces a three-point deficit at 20-17 following a kills by Jackie Gibbons … Emory puts the set out reach by scoring four unanswered points, highlighted by a service ace from freshman Sara Carr … Sophomore Sydney Leimbach's third kill of the set closes out the game in Emory's favor.
Set 2 – Emory hits just .028 (10-9—36) while the Tartans counter with an effort of .278 (14-4—36) … Back-to-back aces by Sarah Porter gives Emory a 5-3 lead, but a 7-2 spurt puts CMU ahead, 10-7 … Emory scores 12 of the set's next 18 points, capped by Breuer ace, to take a 19-16 lead … A termination from Trinka, her third of the set, pushes the Eagles to a 22-19 cushion, but CMU rallies to score the game's final six points to knot the match at 1-1.
Set 3 – In what proves to be the pivotal set of the match, Emory is forced to play catch up for most of the game … A 12-4 Tartan surge erases an early Emory lead and puts CMU ahead, 13-7 … The Eagles face their biggest obstacle in the set at 8-15 following a CMU ace but creep back to within 13-17 following a kill by Maher … Emory trails by six before responding with five unanswered points, sparked by kills from McKnight, Trinka, Leimbach and Maher, drawing it to within one point … A Leimbach termination starts a 3-0 run that allows Emory to take a 22-21 lead .. CMU answers by scoring three of the next four points to take a 24-23 lead … However, the Eagles fight off three set points before finally using a kill by Maher to close out the set.
Set 4 – Trinka comes through with a huge effort, blasting away for nine kills, including a personal 4-0 run that closed out the match … Maher and McKnight chip in four and three kills, respectively and help Emory hit .282 (18-7—39) in the set. … The Eagles trail, 8-5, before posting a 10-2 blitz that puts them ahead, 15-10 … A termination by Maher gives Emory a 20-16 advantage, but CMU battles back to within one point, before Trinka goes on her hitting spree.
Emory vs. Chicago
Set 1 – The Eagles hit a solid .333 (14-4—30) and limit the Maroons to .083 (10-7—36) … The Eagles never trail in the set that sees Holler and Leimbach each total three kills … Emory leads by as many as nine points, 18-9 before an 8-3 run by UC cuts the Emory margin to 21-17 … Emory responds by scoring four of the final five points of the set.
Set 2 – The Maroons pick up their offensive pace, hitting .364 (14-2—33) while Emory checks in with a mark of .268 (16-5—41) … The set is a closely played affair with the biggest point differential being three points … Emory trails by a 13-10 count before registering a 5-1 spurt, with Leimbach coming up with three kills in that stretch, to take a 15-14 lead … A termination by Holler knots the score at 20 apiece, but the Maroons go on to win the set.
Set 3 – The Eagles fall behind, 10-5, but make the most of UC hitting errors to claw back into a 10-10 tie … A 5-2 run , highlighted by kills from Trinka, Holler and McKnight, allows the Eagles to post a 17-16 lead, but UC responds with a 5-1 charge that gives it a 21-18 margin … Back-to-back terminations by Trinka and Holler cut the gap to one point, but the Maroons score the final four points to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Set 4 – Fourth set develops into a defensive struggle with Chicago hitting .158 and Emory .125 … Emory holds a 5-2 edge after a kill by Holler, but a 13-4 Chicago spree puts the Eagles down, 15-9 … Terminations by Holler and McKnight key a 4-0 run that slices the deficit to two points, and eventual 7-2 Emory sprint gives it a 20-18 advantage … A kill by Leimbach keeps the Eagles ahead, 22-20, but UC eventually ties it at 23-23 … Emory has set point at 24-23 and 25-24, but sees Chicago stave that off … The Maroons score the last three points of the game, finishing the match out.