The Emory University volleyball team won in dominant fashion over its opponents going 2-0 on the first day of play at the Emory Classic Tournament. The Eagles move to 14-6 on the season following the solid Friday.
The No. 11 ranked Eagles first match of the day against Saint Mary's was a spectacular showing for the Eagles, winning 25-12, 25-15, 25-12 before going on to beat Averett University later in the evening in four sets 25-12, 20-25, 25-14, 25-10.
Junior Amanda Meyer was a force to be reckoned with as she put up 21 kills and five blocks on an impressive .441 hitting percentage over the course of both matches. Junior Carly Wallace continued to live up to her jack-of-all-trades billing as she finished with 21 kills of her own while also accumulating nine digs and a block in each of the matches. Sophomore Sarah Luong tallied 71 assists on the day while also showing off impressive timing on her attacks as she totaled nine kills as well. In the back row, senior Lauren Bandera was a back-board keeping everything hit around her in play as she posted a team-high 43 digs over the course of the two matches.
In the first match of the day against Saint Mary's, the Eagles pounced quickly opening up an early 7-3 lead, highlighted by three kills from sophomore Lily Martin. With the tone set early, the Eagles were able to put together a 5-0 run followed by a 6-0 run that put the first set away 25-12. The second set was a tighter affair as the Belles had the score knotted at 13 apiece with strong play at the net. The Eagles, however, were unfazed as they closed the second set on a 12-2 run with impressive service stretches from Meyer and Luong. The third set was much of the same as Emory got out to a 9-3 lead and they would not allow the Belles to come any closer than that the rest of the way as the Eagles eventually secured the 25-12 set win and match victory.
The match against Averett was a more tightly contested match, despite the Eagles posting a quick win in the opening set. The Eagles built an early lead over the Cougars and then an 8-1 run to close the set, highlighted by a couple of big-time kills from freshman Kaya Monrose, gave Emory a 25-12 first set victory. However, the Cougars bounced back in a big way in the second flipping the momentum to the tune of an 8-2 lead to open play in the second set. Emory would rally bringing the score back to within two but the Cougars were too dialed in as they earned the 25-20 second set win.
With the match tied up at a set apiece, the Eagles fell into an offensive rhythm allowing them to generate a 7-0 run, which included rock-solid play at the net from senior Caitlyn Reynolds, to go up 14-7 in the third. Another 6-0 run, thanks to dynamite serving by freshman Elly Beshears, put the Eagles over the top, taking the third set 25-14. The fourth set proved to be winning time as Emory quickly opened up an 8-2 lead and would close the set on yet another 5-0 run, with all five points won on kills from the Eagles, to take the fourth by a resounding 25-10 score line.
The Eagles are back in action for the final match of the Emory Classic Tournament tomorrow at 1:00 PM where they are set for a matchup against Wooster who went 2-0 in its two matches on Friday.