2006

Dec. 2006

2006 RECAP

The Emory University volleyball team posted the program’s 13th consecutive winning
season in 2006, finishing the year with a 28-11 record that included the school’s 11th straight NCAA Tournament bid where it advanced to the regional finals  The team’s 28 victories represented the 16th straight year of 20 or more wins for the Eagles.  Emory’s record included a 10-2 ledger in University Athletic Association contests, good for second place. Emory concluded the campaign ranked No. 10 in the nation.

The 2006 season was a testament to perseverance and dedication as Emory battled through injuries that forced Head Coach Jenny McDowell to juggle the lineup on a regular basis. With 2005 NCAA Player of the Year Courtney Rose sidelined the entire season due to injury and veteran stalwarts Janet Bunning and Dani Huffman missing parts of the year with ailments, the Eagles saw a number of players step up to meet the challenge of filling those voids.

As usual, the Eagles played an extremely competitive schedule that featured 12 regular-season matches against teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament.  Emory won its own Classic Tournament the weekend of Sept. 8-9, posting four wins including a 3-0 sweep of eventual NCAA Tournament participant Hiram College.  Emory came away with wins over top-20 teams in back-to-back weekends, topping No. 15 Austin College at the Southwestern University Invitational (Sept. 16) and No. 16 Mount St. Joseph’s (Sept. 23).   Other key wins against ranked teams included a pair of wins over New York University (ranked 14th and 19th) and another triumph against No. 19 Austin College in the NCAA Tournament.

When in the lineup, junior Janet Bunning was a steadying force for the team.  Bunning earned first team All-America honors after ranking as the team’s leader in kills (3.89 kpg), blocks per game (1.29 bpg) and hitting percentage (36.0%).  She posted double-figure kills in 18 of the 25 matches she appeared in and chalked up 13 double-doubles (kills/digs).  Among UAA players, she ranked third in hitting percentage, third in kills per game, fourth in blocks and 13th in digs (3.35 dpg). Bunning’s career-high 25 kills in a five-game battle against No. 2-ranked Washington University was the high-water mark by an Emory player this season and tied her for 10th-place on the school’s match list.

Bolstering the fortunes of the squad was Alysee Meyer who was named the Division III Freshman of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).  A third-team All-American, The 6-foot outside hitter emerged as a dominant offensive force, finishing second on the team and fourth among UAA players in kills per game (3.52 kpg) and 10th in the league (first among UAA frosh) with a 31.8 hitting percentage.  She recorded 22 matches of double-figure kills and her kills total placed her in a tie for 19th-place on the school’s seasonal chart. In addition, Meyer was also tabbed at the UAA’s Rookie of the Year Award winner.

Sophomores Maggie Baird and Madison Robelen both earned first team All-UAA recognition while junior Maggie Ramm garnered second-team acclaim.

Baird, an honorable-mention pick in 2005, was a consistent and productive force from her right side position.  In overall play, Baird averaged 2.34 kills per game and posted a 31.4 hitting percentage.  Those averages increased significantly in conference action to  2.73 kills per game and a 38.1 attack percentage, good for the No. 4 spot on the league chart.   

Robelen directed the Eagles’ offense with precision all season from her setter position, averaging 10.7 assists per game in overall play, good for the No. 2 spot among UAA performers.  In conference affairs, she averaged a league-best 13.24 assists per game.  Her setting helped Emory to a No. 1 position in hitting percentage among UAA teams for league games (34.9%) while the squad’s overall mark of 28.2 percent placed it No. 2 in the UAA and No. 8 nationally.  Her 1,413 assists enabled her to claim the No. 2 position on the school’s seasonal list.

Ramm established herself as one of the premier defensive specialists in Emory history and smashed the school season record for digs with 558.  Holding down the No. 3 spot among UAA players in digs (4.54 dpg).  Ramm totaled 31 matches of double-figure digs including nine outings of 20 or more.  Ramm established a school-match record with 38 digs against Austin College in the NCAA Tournament.  She was recognized for her play by the UAA and was selected as the league’s Libero of the Week on three occasions in 2006.

As a team, the Eagles established school seasonal records in assists per game (13.79 apg), total digs (2,564), digs per game (18.06 dpg), solo blocks (143) and total blocks (393).  On the national scene, Emory ranked 14th in the nation in assists per game, 27th in blocks per game (2.77 bpg) and 10th in kills per game (15.46 kpg).

American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America Team
Janet Bunning                   First Team                Washington, DC (Woodrow Wilson)
Alysee Meyer                   Third Team             Stockton, CA (Lincoln)

AVCA Freshman of the Year
Alysee Meyer                     (one winner)                             Stockton, CA (Lincoln)
                                                                 
NCAA Division III All-South
Janet Bunning                           (one team)                          Washington DC (Woodrow Wilson)
Alysee Meyer                           (one team)                          Stockton, CA (Lincoln)
Madison Robelen               Honorable Mention                   Boca Raton, FL (Spanish River)

NCAA Division III South Region Freshman of the Year
Alysee Meyer                      (one winner)                      Stockton, CA (Lincoln)

All-University Athletic Association (UAA)
Maggie Baird                         First Team                       San Antonio, TX (Winston Churchill)
Madison Robelen                  First Team                       Boca Raton, FL (Spanish River)
Alysee Meyer                        Second Team                  Stockton, CA (Lincoln)
Maggie Ramm                       Second Team                  Tampa, FL (H.B. Plant)
Janet Bunning                        Honorable Mention          Washington, D.C. (Woodrow Wilson)

UAA Rookie of the Year
Alysee Meyer                           (one winner)                 Stockton, CA (Lincoln)

Southwestern University Invitational All-Tournament Team
Dani Huffman                                                               San Diego, CA (Scripps Ranch)

Emory Classic All-Tournament Team
Janet Bunning                           MVP                            Washington, D.C. (Woodrow Wilson)
Dani Huffman                                                               San Diego, CA (Scripps Ranch)

Emory Invitational All-Tournament Team
Madison Robelen                                                         Boca Raton, FL (Spanish River)
Janet Bunning                                                               Washington, D.C. (Woodrow Wilson)                    

Emory National Invitational All-Tournament Team
Janet Bunning                           MVP                            Washington, D.C. (Woodrow Wilson)
Madison Robelen                                                         Boca Raton, FL (Spanish River)
Maggie Baird                                                    San Antonio, TX  (Winston Churchill)
Maggie Ramm                                                              Tampa, FL (H.B. Plant)

UAA  Player of the Week
Dani Huffman                           Sept. 19, 2006             San Diego, CA (Scripps Ranch)
Maggie Ramm                          Oct. 3, 2006                Tampa, FL (H.B. Plant)
Maggie Ramm                          Oct. 10, 2006              Tampa, FL (H.B. Plant)
Janet Bunning                           Oct. 17, 2006              Washington, D.C. (Woodrow Wilson)
Madison Robelen                     Oct. 24, 2006              Boca Raton, FL (Spanish River)
Maggie Ramm                          Nov. 14, 2006             Tampa, FL (H.B. Plant)

Nov. 11

NO. 12-RANKED EMORY VOLLEYBALL DROPS FOUR-GAME DECISION TO NO. 5 TRINITY IN NCAA REGIONAL FINAL

The No. 12-ranked Emory University volleyball team saw its season come to and end as
it came out on the short end of a four-game decision to No. 5-ranked Trinity in the South
Regional Final of the NCAA Division III Tournament.  The host Tigers earned the right
to advance the NCAA Quarterfinals following a 30-26, 23-30, 30-24, 30-24 triumph over
 Emory who closed out the 2006 campaign with an overall record of 28-11.

After dropping the first game, Emory hit 32.5 percent in the second game to tie the
match.  However, the Eagles were stymied in their effort in trying to build upon the
momentum from that win and dropped the next two games, closing out the
match and their season.

Sophomore Dani Huffman (San Diego, CA) paced the Emory attack with 14 kills and a
40.0 hitting percentage (14-4—25).  Alysse Meyer (Stockton, CA), the AVCA Division
III Freshman of the Year, finished the match with 13 kills and a season-high 12 digs
while sophomore Maggie Baird (San Antonio, TX) rounded out the trio of double-figure
Kill producers with 10 attacks.  Junior Maggie Ramm (Tampa, FL) led all players with
25 digs, her ninth match of 20-plus digs this season and sophomore setter Madison
Robelen (Boca Raton, FL) doled out 43 assists and contributed 12 digs. Robelen ended
the year with 1,413 digs, good for the No. 2 spot Emory’s seasonal chart.

Nov. 11

TWO EMORY VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS EARN AVCA ALL-AMERICA HONORS

Two members of the Emory University volleyball team have earned American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America honors for the 2006 season.  Junior Janet Bunning (Washington, D.C.) was named a First Team All-American while freshman Alysse Meyer (Stockton, CA) was chosen as a Third Team All-American.  In addition, Meyer was chosen as the AVCA Division III Freshman of the Year.

Despite being slowed by injuries, the 5-foot-10 Bunning, an honorable mention All-American a year ago, ranked as the team’s leader in kills (3.89 kpg) and blocks (1.29 bpg) per game and hitting percentage (36.0%) while ranking second on the squad with a 3.35 digs per-game average.  She posted double-figure kills in 18 of the 25 matches she appeared in and posted 15 matches of double-figure digs including three contests of 20 or more.  Bunning’s season came to an end on Oct. 28 when she suffered an injury against Juniata College.

Meyer emerged as a dominant offensive force for the Eagles and took a 3.55 kills per game average into the NCAA Tournament.  The 6-foot Meyer had registered a 33.5 hitting percentage which ranked her eighth among University Athletic Association players and tops among all league freshmen.  Heading into NCAA action, Meyer had 21 matches of double-figure kills to her credit.

In addition, the duo of Bunning and Meyer also captured AVCA First Team All-South Region honors with Bunning’s berth representing the second consecutive season that she had landed on the first team.  Meyer was also tabbed as the Region’s Freshman of the Year.  Sophomore setter Madison Robelen (Boca Raton, FL) was chosen as an honorable-mention pick to the All-South Region Team.

Nov. 10

NO. 12-RANKED EMORY VOLLEYBALL RALLIES TO CLAIM FIVE-GAME WIN OVER AUSTIN COLLEGE IN NCAA OPENER

Nov. 8

NO. 12-RANKED EMORY VOLLEYBALL PREPARES FOR NCAA TOURNAMENT

NCAA TOURNAMENT FACTS – The No. 12-ranked Emory volleyball team makes its 11th straight appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament when it ventures to San Antonio, Texas, to take part in the six-team South Regional. The Eagles, the No. 2 seed in the region, drew an opening-round bye and will play on Friday (Nov. 10) at 4:30 p.m., against the winner of Austin College vs. Hardin-Simmons.  Trinity University serves as the host of the action and it will play on Friday as well against the victor of the Southwestern vs. Averett contest. The winner of this regional advances to the quarterfinals, Nov. 16, at Salem, Virginia.

THE COACHES – Emory is led by 11th-year Head Coach Jenny McDowell (Georgia, ’89).  During her stint at Emory, McDowell has posted a school and career won-lost ledger of 337-98.  She has eight campaigns of 30 or more wins and has directed the program to 11 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, including a 2003 Final Four appearance.

Ed Garza (Ouachita Baptist, ’86) is in his 10th year as head coach at Austin College.  Heading into this weekend, he has a school record of 251-100.

Hardin-Simmons is led by Hugh Hernesman, who is in his third season with the Cowgirls.  Hernesman will check into Thursday’s action with a school and career record of 47-42.  Prior to his current post, he served as an assistant coach at UW-Whitewater from 1999 through 2004. 

Hannah Long is (NYU, ’93) is the head coach at Southwestern University.  

Danny Miller is in his 12th season as the man in charge of the Averett University Cougars’ program.  A graduate of Averett, Miller has a school mark of 320-136.

Julie Jenkins (William & Mary, ’81) is in her 22nd campaign at Trinity.  Entering the NCAA Tournament, she has posted a school ledger of 578-263. 

THE RECORDS – Emory stands 27-10 overall and is coming off a runner-up finish at the University Athletic Association Championships this past weekend.  The Eagles topped the University of Chicago (3-1), Brandeis (3-0) and New York University (3-0) on the first day of action before posting a 3-0 win over host Carnegie Mellon on Saturday in the semifinals.  In the championship match, Emory fell, 3-0, to No. 2-ranked Washington University.  The 27 triumphs marks the 16th straight season that the Eagles have compiled 20 or more wins in a season. 

Austin College, ranked No. 19 nationally, will meet Hardin-Simmons with an overall record of 33-7.  The Kangaroos, a member of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, posted a 14-4 effort in league play and earned one of the 17 at-large bids to the tournament.

Hardin-Simmons stands 19-14 and is making its first-ever NCAA appearance.  The Cowgirls earned an automatic berth following its championship in the American Southwest Conference Tournament.

Southwestern University, another member of the SCAC, takes an overall mark of 29-8 into its Thursday bout against Averett.  The Pirates are ranked No. 20 nationally.

Averett University, a member of the USA South Conference, is brining an overall record of 29-6 into its fourth-ever NCAA appearance.  The Cougars earned an automatic bid following its win over Christopher Newport in the league’s tournament final.

Trinity University is making its 15th consecutive NCAA trip and posts a 32-6 record.  The Tigers are the No. 1 seed in the region and are ranked No. 5 nationally.

SERIES RECORDS – Emory stands 3-0 against Austin College.  Earlier this season (Sept. 16), the Eagles recorded a 3-1 decision over the Kangaroos at the Southwestern Invitational.  Last season, Emory knocked Austin College out of the NCAA Sweet 16.

If Emory and Hardin-Simmons meet, it would represent the first meeting in volleyball between the schools.

The Eagles post an all-time record of 14-2 against Averett.  The last meeting took place during the early stages of the 2005 campaign where Emory claimed a 3-0 decision against the Cougars.

Emory holds a 10-4 series edge against Southwestern, though the Pirates did come away with a 3-1 triumph over the Eagles earlier this year (Sept. 15).

Trinity possesses a slight 8-7series margin over Emory.  The last meeting took place on Oct. 29, 2004, when the Tigers recorded a 3-0 victory on their home floor.

EMORY NOTES  -- In University Athletic Association statistics released Nov. 6, Emory stood second among UAA teams in hitting percentage (28.6%) and third in assists (13.80 apg), kills (15.43 kpg) and digs (17.89 dpg) … Sophomore Dani Huffman (San Diego, CA) ranks sixth among UAA players in hitting percentage (33.8%) and is 18th in kills per game (2.56 kpg) … Huffman hit a season-high 75.0 percent (13-1—16) against Brandies this past weekend at the UAA Championships … It was her second-highest hitting percentage as an Eagle with her best being  a 78.6 percent performance last season vs. Rochester … Freshman Alysse Meyer (Stockton, CA) is eighth among league performers in attack percentage (33.5%) and fourth in kills (3.55 kpg) … Meyer has 20 matches of double-figure attacks to her credit this year and is coming off an outstanding UAA Championships performance where she chalked up 63 kills while hitting 40.8 percent (63—16—175) … Meyer’s kills-per-game mark places her seventh on the school’s seasonal ladder in that category … Freshman Hillary Buren (Kansas City, MO) is ninth among UAA players in kills (3.19 kpg) and 15th in attack percentage (26.6%) … Buren has 16 outings of 10 or more kills this year … Sophomore Madison Robelen (Boca Raton, FL) continues her climb up Emory’s seasonal chart in assists and enters this weekend’s action in the No. 3 position with 1,308 … Robelen is 80 shy of tying Remley Dodge (2002) for the No. 2 spot with 1,388 … In addition, she is fourth on the Eagles’ seasonal chart in digs with 393 … Junior Maggie Ramm (Tampa, FL) continues to further establish herself as the school’s seasonal leader in digs, coming out of last weekend’s action with 495 … Ramm’s 21 digs in the NYU match was her seventh outing of 20 or more digs … Sophomore Maggie Baird (San Antonio, TX) holds down the No. 13 position among UAA players with a 31.7 hitting percentage …  Emory recorded 10 or more service aces in three of its UAA matches this past weekend, boosting the total to 16 contests where it has double digits in that category … Emory’s 2,052 kills this year is No. 3 on the school’s seasonal chart while its current 15.51 kills per game is good for the No. 2  slot.

EMORY A FIXTURE IN THE POLLS  – This week’s No. 12 national ranking in the CSTV/AVCA Top 25 Poll marks the 117th straight poll that Emory has ranked among the nation’s top teams.  The streak started with the Sept. 25, 1996, rankings when Emory held down the No. 15 position.  In 1998 the rankings expanded to include the Top 20 teams before expanding again in 2002 for a Top 25.

BUNNING TO MISS REST OF SEASON  – Junior Janet Bunning (Washington, DC)
suffered a knee injury midway through the second game of the Juniata match and will miss the rest of the season.  Bunning led the team in several categories including kills per game (3.89 kpg) and hitting percentage (36.0%) while holding down the No. 2 spot in digs (3.35 dpg).

The Emory volleyball team has earned its 11th consecutive berth to the NCAA Division III National Championship.  The Eagles learned late Sunday evening that they have been seeded No. 2 in the South Region and will be venturing to San Antonio, Texas, for their opening matches.  Emory (27-10) drew an opening-round bye and will play on Friday, Nov. 10, at 4:30 p.m. against the winner of Austin College (33-7) vs. Hardin-Simmons (19-14). 

Trinity University (32-6) will serve as the host of this weekend’s action and will play on Friday at 7:00 p.m. against the winner of Southwestern University (29-8) vs. Averett (29-6).  The winner of this weekend’s play advances to Salem, Virginia, for quarterfinal play on November 16.  The semifinals and finals will also be in Salem and played on Nov. 17-18.

“I am excited for the team and it is a credit to them to be selected as an at-large team,” Emory Head Coach Jenny McDowell said.  “They have had to battle through adversity with the injuries that we had throughout the season but they toughed it out.  This team has competed well on the road this year and we are looking forward to the challenge.”

A total of three teams from the University Athletic Association earned spots in the 60-team field.  In addition to Emory, Washington University (33-1) and New York University (32-6) are members of the tourney field.  Washington University drew Nebraska Wesleyan in its first match while NYU will meet Hunter.

Nov. 4

NO. 13-RANKED EMORY VOLLEYBALL TEAM  FALLS TO WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN UAA CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

The No. 13-ranked Emory University volleyball team saw its inspired run for a University Athletic Association championship fall short Saturday afternoon as the Eagles dropped a three-game decision to No. 2-ranked Washington University.  Emory saw its record fall to 27-10 overall following a 30-20, 31-29, 32-30 loss to the Bears who captured their 23rd straight win en to upping their record to 31-1.

Freshman Alysse Meyer (Stockton, CA) capped off a strong weekend performance by totaling a team-high 15 kills.  Sophomore Madision Robelen made the most of her attack opportunities and finished with 10 terminations while dishing out 36 assists.  Freshman Hillary Buren (Kansas City, MO) came through with nine kills.

Defensively, Robelen came up with 18 digs while junior Maggie Ramm (Tampa, FL) picked up 12.

Emory, winners of 13 of its last 15 matches, returns to Atlanta on Sunday afternoon and will wait to hear to in regards to its postseason fate.

Nov. 4

NO. 13 EMORY VOLLEYBALL TOPS CARNEGIE MELLON – ADVANCES TO UAA CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

The No.13-ranked Emory University volleyball team has advanced to the University Athletic Association championship match following a win over host Carnegie Mellon in the semifinals.  The Eagles raised their overall record to 27-9 following a 30-23, 30-24, 30-16 win over CMU.

Freshmen Alysse Meyer (Stockton, CA) and Hillary Buren (Kansas City, MO) each recorded 11 kills to lead the offensive attack with Meyer contributing a pair of service aces and Buren a pair of solo blocks.  Sophomore Maggie Baird (San Antonio, TX) chipped in nine kills along with four blocks (1-3) while sophomore Dani Huffman (San Diego, CA) finished the contest with eight attacks. Sophomore setter Madison Robelen (Boca Raton, FL) dished out 38 assists and contributed 11 digs.  Junior Maggie Ramm (Tampa, FL) posted a team-high 15 digs.

Emory will face No. 2-ranked Washington University in the title match schedule to start at 4:30 p.m. The match will be available for viewing over the web. Go to
http://www.uaa.rochester.edu/Weekly_Sport_Updates/VB_Update.html for more information.

Nov. 3

EMORY VOLLEYBALL BREEZES BY BRANDEIS – STANDS 2-0 IN UAA CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY

The No. 13-ranked Emory University volleyball team continued its solid play at the University Athletic Association Championships on Friday, recording a three-game win over Brandeis University in its second match of the day.  The Eagles raised their overall record to 25-9 following a 30-23, 30-13, 30-14 decision over the Judges who fell to 17-16.  This year’s championship is being played in Pittsburgh and hosted by Carnegie Mellon University.

Freshman Alysse Meyer (Stockton, CA) once again was a dominant force offensively with a team-high 15 kills.  Sophomore Dani Huffman (San Diego, CA) totaled 13 terminations while freshman Hillary Buren (Kansas City, MO) chipped in 10 attacks.  Sophomore setter Madison Robelen (Boca Raton, FL) dished out 44 assists and junior Maggie Ramm (Tampa, FL) registered 17 digs.

Emory closes out Friday play with a 4:30 pm match against No. 19-ranked New York University.

NOTES – Meyer’s 15 kills represented her 18th match of double-figure kills this season and marked her sixth performance of 15 or more … Huffman’s 13 kills in the Brandeis match was her 10th match of the campaign of double digits in that category … Buren’s 10 kills gives her 16 matches of 10 or more attacks this year … Robelen’s  87 assists through two matches increase her season total to 1,195, good for seventh place on the school’s seasonal chart.  Robelen is just 11 assists shy of moving past Amy Shapiro (1999) current sixth-place mark of 1,205.

Nov. 3

EMORY VOLLEYBALL SQUAD OFF TO A GOOD START AT UAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

The No.13-ranked Emory University volleyball got off to a good start at the University Athletic Association Championships this morning with a four-game win over the University of Chicago.  The Eagles raised their overall record to 24-9 following a 30-20, 30-14, 28-30, 30-12 decision over the Maroons who fell to 4-27.  This year’s championship is being played in Pittsburgh and hosted by Carnegie Mellon University.

Freshman Alysse Meyer (Stockton, CA) and sophomore Dani Huffman (San Diego, CA) led the offensive attack with 12 kills apiece while sophomore Maggie Baird totaled (San Antonio, TX) nine attacks.  Meyer also doled four service aces as did sophomore Ellen Scott (Rancho Santa Fe, CA).  Junior Maggie Ramm (Tampa, FL) and Scott each posted a team-high 10 digs with Ramm’s total giving her 430 on the year, good for the top spot on the school’s all-time season chart.

CHAMPIONSHIP FACTS – The No. 13-ranked Emory volleyball team ventures to Pittsburgh this Friday and Saturday (Nov. 3-4) when it competes at the University Athletic Association Championships.  Hosting this year’s event is Carnegie Mellon University.  The Eagles have three matches slated for Friday – 9:00 a.m.., vs. Chicago; 11:30 a.m., vs. Brandies and a 4:30 p.m., bout against No. 19-ranked New York University.  Saturday matches are scheduled for 9:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m., and 4:30 p.m.

THE COACHES – Emory is led by 11th-year Head Coach Jenny McDowell (Georgia, ’89).  During her stint at Emory, McDowell has posted a school and career won-lost ledger of 333-97.  She has eight campaigns of 30 or more wins and has directed the program to 10 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, including a 2003 Final Four appearance.

Dorinda von Tersch (Dayton, ’90) is in her sixth year as head coach of the University of Chicago.  Prior to her current post, she served as head coach at Colgate University from 1998-2000.  Her first head coaching post was at Northeastern Illinois in 1997. 

Brandeis is led by Michelle Kim (Binghamton, ’96) who is in her third season with the Judges. Prior to being named head in the summer of 2004, Kim had served as an assist at Brandies since 1999.  

Ed Caesar (NYU, ’93) is in his fifth season at the helm of the NYU program and checks into the UAA Championships with a school and career won-lost ledger of 178-38.

THE RECORDS – Emory posts an overall record of 23-9 and closed out the regular-season portion of University Athletic Association play with a 6-1 mark, good for second place. In their most recent outing, the Eagles split a pair of home matches last Saturday, defeating the University of West Georgia in three games (30-20, 30-27, 30-25) before dropping a three-game verdict to No. 1-ranked Juniata (30-28, 30-19, 30-20).

Chicago will meet Emory with an overall record of 4-26 including a 1-6 ledger in UAA contests. The Maroons’ last outing was a three-game loss to No. 6-ranked Carthage on Oct. 25.

Brandeis stands 17-14 overall and compiled a 2-5 mark in league outings.  BU is coming off a productive weekend that saw them post four wins en route to a championship effort at the Judges Classic.

New York University has won 12 of its last 13 matches and stand 29-4 overall and showed a mark of 5-2 in the conference, good for the No. 3 spot.

SERIES RECORDS – Emory stands 20-11 against Chicago.  Earlier this season, the Eagles recorded a 3-0 decision over the Maroons.

Emory holds a 24-6 edge in the all-time series against Brandeis.  In the UAA Round Robin I held at Emory earlier this season, the Eagles topped the Judges in four games.

Emory shows an all-time mark of 22-13 against NYU.  The Eagles topped the Violets, 3-0 at the UAA Round Robin II earlier this year.
 
BUNNING TO MISS REST OF SEASON  – Junior Janet Bunning (Washington, DC)
suffered a knee injury midway through the second game of the Juniata match and will miss the rest of the season.  Bunning led the team in several categories including kills per game (3.89 kpg) and hitting percentage (36.0%) while holding down the No. 2 spot in digs (3.35 dpg).

EMORY NOTES  -- In University Athletic Association statistics released Oct. 29, Emory stood second among UAA teams in hitting percentage (27.7%), and third in assists (13.84 apg) and kills (15.63 kpg).  and blocks (2.77 bpg) while holding down the No. 1 position in kills (15.69 kpg) … Freshman Alysse Meyer (Stockton, CA) is ninth among league performers in attack percentage (32.2%) and sixth in kills (3.51 kpg) …Meyer has 16 matches of double-figure attacks to her credit … Junior Maggie Ramm (Tampa, FL) is just two digs shy of becoming Emory’s all-time seasonal leader in that category … Ramm currently has 420 digs and is one shy of tying the current mark of 421 held by Kelly McIntosh in 2005 … Sophomore setter Madison Robelen (Boca Raton, FL) holds down the No. 12 spot on Emory’s seasonal ladder in assists with 1,108 … Freshman Hillary Buren (Kansas City, MO) is eighth on the UAA chart in kills per game (3.22 kpg) …  Sophomores Dani Huffman (San Diego, CA) and  Maggie Baird (San Antonio, TX) stands 10th and 12th, respectively, in hitting percentage with marks of 30.9 percent and 30.1percent.

EMORY  NO. 13 IN CSTV/AVCA POLL – The Emory volleyball squad holds down the No. 12 spot in this week’s CSTV/AVCA Top 25 Volleyball Poll.  Juniata, the national runner-up in 2005, claims the No. 1 spot in the poll with 600 points and all 24 first-place votes.  

After dropping a hard fought first game and trailing by an 18-16 margin in game two, Emory lost the services of junior Janet Bunning (Washington, D.C.) for the remainder of the contest with a leg injury.  Facing a 19-17 deficit, Emory saw the top-ranked Division III squad in the nation rattle off an 11-2 burst that closed out that game.  In the third game, Emory fell behind by a 9-3 count but rallied to draw to within two at 14-16. However, that was as close as Emory would get as Juniata finished with a 7-3 run.

Freshmen Alysse Mayer (Stockton, CA) and Hillary Buren (Kansas City, MO) each posted seven kills to lead the squad in that department.  Junior Maggie Ramm (Tampa, FL) and Meyer recorded 16 and 10 digs.

“Our team is pretty much wrapped around Janet, she’s our primary passer and hitter and it was a setback when we lost her,” McDowell said after the game.  “When she went out of the lineup, we had to move some positions around and got out of our rhythm.  But I told the players that I thought they battled hard to the end and was proud of their perseverance.  Now, we will regroup and prepare for the UAA’s next weekend.”

Oct. 28

EMORY VOLLEYBALL POSTS THREE-GAME WIN AGAINST WEST GEORGIA

The No.12-ranked Emory University volleyball team notched its ninth straight victory early this afternoon with a three-game win over the University of West Georgia.  The Eagles boosted their overall record to 23-8 following a 30-20, 30-27, 30-25 decision over the Wolves who fell to 15-15.

Emory’s offense was effective and finished the match with a 34.3 hitting percentage (54-17—108), the 15th match in the last 16 outings that it has hit 30 percent or better, while holding West Georgia to 19.1 percent (30-13—89).  The Eagles held a 42-34 edge in digs and a 5-3 margin in total blocks.

Junior Janet Bunning (Washington D.C.) was a one-person wrecking crew, leading Emory with 19 kills, her third-highest total of the season, and finishing the contest with a 58.6 attack percentage (19-2—29).  Freshmen Hillary Buren (Kansas City, MO) and Alysse Meyer (Stockton, CA) each chipped in 11 kills. 

Oct. 26

NO. 12-RANKED EMORY VOLLEYBALL CLOSES OUT REGULAR SEASON

MATCH FACTS – The No. 12-ranked Emory volleyball team closes out the regular-season portion of its schedule on Saturday (Oct. 28) when it hosts a pair of matches.  The Eagles welcome the University of West Georgia and No. 1-ranked Juniata College to the Woodruff PE Center with the match against West Georgia slated for a 1:00 p.m., start and the Juniata bout a 7:00 p.m. start.  West Georgia and Juniata will play at 4:00 p.m.

THE COACHES – Emory is led by 11th-year Head Coach Jenny McDowell (Georgia, ’89).  During her stint at Emory, McDowell has posted a school and career won-lost ledger of 332-96.  She has eight campaigns of 30 or more wins and has directed the program to 10 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, including a 2003 Final Four appearance.

Regan Adams (West Alabama, ’2000) is in her second year as head coach of  West Georgia and took a school and career record of 36-32 into a Thursday match against Alabama-Huntsville.  Prior to her current post, Adams served a two-year stint as an assistant coach at Toledo.

Juniata is led by Larry Brock (Penn State, ’71) who is in his 30th season with the Eagles and checks in with a glittering 1,102-172 won-lost slate.  Under his direction, Juniata is the only team to appear in all 25 NCAA Division III tournaments. In addition, his 2004 squad brought home the NCAA title.

THE RECORDS – Emory posts an overall record of 22-8 and closed out the regular-season portion of University Athletic Association play with a 6-1 mark, good for second place. The Eagles head into the weekend riding an eight-match win streak that includes a 3-0 win over Lee University on Wednesday night.  Emory stands 14-3 in home matches this season and has won its last seven outings on its home floor.

West Georgia stood 15-14 prior to its contest against Alabama-Huntsville. Entering Thursday’s match, the Wolves had come out on the short end of their last two matches.

Juniata, a member of the Commonwealth Conference, invades Atlanta with an overall record of 31-1.  The team’s only setback came at the hands of Princeton on Oct. 1.  The Eagles have captured their last 11 matches with just two of those going past three games.

SERIES RECORDS – Emory stands 7-4 against West Georgia, however the Wolves won last year’s meeting on their home floor.  

Juniata holds a 6-1 edge in the all-time series against Emory.  Last year, Juniata came away with a 3-0 decision against Emory.

ROBELEN NAMED UAA PLAYER OF THE WEEK  – Sophomore Madison Robelen (Boca Raton, FL) was selected as the UAA Player of the Week following her performance at the Emory National Invitational. The 5-foot-7 Robelen helped the squad to a 4-0 mark and a team title at the Invitational, the Eagles’ final regular-season tournament. Robelen directed the Emory offense with a steady hand, doling out an average of 13.5 assists per game in the four matches including a total of 60, tying her career high in a four-game win over Illinois Wesleyan.  While Robelen’s setting helped Emory hit 40 percent over the weekend, she was solid  defensively, registering 60 digs including a career-best tying 23 against Illinois Wesleyan. 

Robelen is 12th on Emory’s seasonal chart in assists with 1,042, and is just one of seven players in school history to crack the 1,000-plus mark in a season. In addition, she stands 11th seasonally at Emory in digs with 328.

EMORY NOTES  -- In University Athletic Association statistics released Oct. 23, Emory stood second among UAA teams in hitting percentage (28.6%), assists (13.88 apg) and blocks (2.77 bpg) while holding down the No. 1 position in kills (15.69 kpg) … Junior Janet Bunning (Washington, DC) ranks prominently in the league listings in a number of categories including third in both kills (3.82 kpg) and blocks (1.28 bpg), while ranking fifth in hitting percentage … Freshman Alysse Meyer (Stockton, CA) is seventh among league performers in attack percentage (34.6%) and 10th in kills (3.08 kpg) … Freshman Hillary Buren (Kansas City, MO) is sixth on the UAA chart in kills per game (3.32 kpg) …  Sophomores Dani Huffman (San Diego, CA) and  Maggie Baird (San Antonio, TX) stands 9th and 11th, respectively, in hitting percentage with marks of 33.0 percent and 32.4 percent … Junior Maggie Ramm holds down the No. 4 position on Emory’s seasonal list in digs with 391, 30 shy of tying the mark of 421 held by Kelly McIntosh (2005) … Bunning’s 80 block assists rank her 11th on Emory’s seasonal ladder.

WEB CASTING OF EMORY VOLLEYBALL AVAILABLE -- Highlight Reel Productions will be offering live web casting with announcing of Emory Men's and Women's Soccer and Volleyball home games this fall.  Games will be available to watch live and on-demand online, and DVDs can be ordered.  Please visit HRPTV.com to gain access to the games.

EMORY  NO. 12 IN CSTV/AVCA POLL – The Emory volleyball squad holds down the No. 12 spot in this week’s CSTV/AVCA Top 25 Volleyball Poll.  Juniata, the national runner-up in 2005, claims the No. 1 spot in the poll with 600 points and all 24 first-place votes.  

Oct. 25

NO. 12-RANKED EMORY VOLLEYBALL VENTURES TO LEE UNIVERSITY

Bunning was named Invitational MVP after racking up 42 kills and 33 digs in the three matches she saw action in. Emory was well represented on the All-Invitational team with Robelen, Baird and Ramm earning spots.  Amanda Hawkins of Muskingum and Melissa Serritella and Jenna Passananti of Illinois Wesleyan rounded out the All-Invitational squad.  

Oct. 20

EMORY VOLLEYBALL SQUAD POSTS TWO WINS IN OPENING DAY OF INVITATIONAL

The No.14-ranked Emory University volleyball team recorded two wins in the opening day of the Emory National Invitational.  The Eagles topped Ripon College in three games (30-10, 30-16, 30-28) before battling to a four-game decision over Illinois Wesleyan (30-18, 30-21, 27-30, 30-23).  The victories boosted Emory’s overall record to 19-8.

In the Ripon match, Head Coach Jenny McDowell utilized her bench and saw 11 players record at least one kill.  Freshman Kaitlin Westfall (St. Louis, MO) led the Eagles in that department with nine terminations while classmate Rachel Mills (Elizabethtown, KY) finished with eight attacks.  For the match, Emory finished with a 38.2 hitting percentage (52-8—225).   Defensively, junior Maggie Ramm (Tampa, FL) chalked up 19 digs to led the squad with freshman Lexi Hill (San Jose, CA) chipping in 10. 

In the Illinois Wesleyan match, Emory hit 41.5 percent (30-8—53) en route to taking the first two games.  The Titans then answered with a win in game three before the Eagles regrouped to close out the contest.  Emory saw four players finish with double figures in kills led by freshman Hillary Buren (Kansas City, MO) with 20.  Junior Janet Bunning (Washington, DC) turned in another fine all-around match with 17 attacks and 10 digs.  Freshman Alysse Meyer (Stockton, CA) and sophomore Dani Huffman (San Diego, CA) rounded out the quartet with 15 and 10 kills, respectively.  Sophomore Madison Robelen (Boca Raton, FL) dished out 60 assists and totaled a team-leading 23 digs.

Emory closes out Invitational play on Saturday with matches against Vassar College (2:00 pm) and Muskingum (4:30 pm).

2006 Emory National Invitational Scoreboard

Friday, Oct. 20
2:00 pm
Vassar def. Ripon, 3-2 (30-28, 25-30, 30-25, 27-30, 15-9)
Illinois Wesleyan def. Muskingum, 3-1 (22-30, 30-19, 30-28, 30-26)

4:30 pm
Emory def. Ripon, 3-0 (30-10, 30-16, 30-28)
Muskingum def. Vassar, 3-0 (30-24, 30-21, 30-24)

7:00 pm
Emory def. Illinois Wesleyan, 3-1 (30-18, 30-21, 27-30, 30-23)

Saturday, Oct. 21
11:30 am
Muskingum def. Ripon, 3-0 (30-16, 30-25, 30-20)
Illinois Wesleyan def. Vassar, 3-0 (30-22, 30-18, 30-21)

2:00 pm
Emory def. Vassar, 3-0 (30-13, 30-19, 30-9)
Illinois Wesleyan def. Ripon, 3-0 (30-23, 30-17, 30-17)

4:30 pm
Emory def. Muskingum, 3-0 (30-13, 30-21, 30-14)

EMORY NATIONAL INVITATIONAL FACTS – The No. 14-ranked Emory volleyball team returns home this Friday and Saturday (Oct. 20-21) when it hosts the Emory National Invitational Tournament.  The Eagles battle Ripon College on Friday beginning at 4:30 p.m. before taking on Illinois Wesleyan at 7:00 p.m.   On Saturday, the Eagles meet Vassar at 2:00 p.m., and then close out the weekend with a contest against Muskingum at 4:30 p.m.

THE COACHES – Emory is led by 11th-year Head Coach Jenny McDowell (Georgia, ’89).  During her stint at Emory, McDowell has posted a school and career won-lost ledger of 327-96.  She has eight campaigns of 30 or more wins and has directed the program to 10 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, including a 2003 Final Four appearance.

Kelly Witte (UW-Oshkosh, ’90) is in her tenth year as head coach of Ripon College and posts a school record of 277-235.  In 2004, she was named the Midwest Conference Coach of the Year.

Illinois Wesleyan is led by Kim Nelson-Brown (Illinois State, ’94) who is in her 11th season with the Titans. Heading into the weekend, she owns a school and career won-lost slate of 234-158. 

Paul Yee (Milwaukee School of Engineering, ’06) was named interim coach at Vassar for the 2006 campaign.  Yee is serving in his current capacity as Jonathan Penn, who coached the Brewers the 10 previous campaigns, took a sabbatical leave.

 Dr. Elizabeth Zicha (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) has an all-time mark of 553-242 during her tenure at Muskigum College. 

THE RECORDS – Emory posts an overall record of 17-8 and closed out the regular-season portion of University Athletic Association play with a 6-1 mark, good for second place. The Eagles posted wins in three of four UAA matches last weekend at the Round Robin II, dropping a five-game decision to No. 2-ranked Washington University before rattling off victories against Chicago, Case Western and No. 14-ranked NYU.

Ripon meets Emory with an overall record of 12-13.  In their most recent outing, the Red Hawks posted three-game wins over Knox College and Monmouth College last Saturday. 

Illinois Wesleyan, a member of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW), heads into the weekend with an overall effort of 15-9.  The Titans played Augustana College on Tuesday and recorded a four-game win.

Vassar, a member of the Liberty League, invades Atlanta with an overall record of 18-7.  In their last performance, the Brewers registered a three-game decision against FDU (Florham) on Oct. 12.  

Muskingum brings an overall record of 12-8 into the weekend.  The Muskies bested Wilmington College, 3-0, on Tuesday evening.

SERIES RECORDS – This weekend’s matches against Ripon College and Muskingum College will represent the initial meetings in volleyball.

The Eagles stand 1-0 against Illinois Wesleyan with that victory coming in 2002.

Emory is 1-0 all-time against Vassar.  Saturday’s bout will mark the first time since 1994 that the schools have met in volleyball.

ON THE HORIZON – Following this weekend’s play, the Eagles host a pair of contests on Saturday, Oct. 28.  Emory will battle West Georgia University in a 1:00 p.m. match before meeting No. 1-ranked Juniata in a 7:00 p.m. start.  

BUNNING NAMED UAA PLAYER OF THE WEEK  – Junior Janet Bunning (Washington, DC) was selected as the UAA Player of the Week following her performance at the Round Robin II.  The 5-foot-10 Bunning helped the squad to a 3-1 mark in the league’s final weekend of regular-season play.  In the 12 games she played in (Emory played a total of 15 games during the weekend), Bunning hit 58.8 percent (52-5—80) while coming up with 25 digs, 17 blocks (7-10) and three service aces.  In a five-game contest against No. 2-ranked Washington, Bunning recorded a career-high 25 kills, hit 60 percent in the match (25-1—40), and registered eight digs and eight blocks (1-7).  In the final match of the weekend against No. 14-ranked NYU, she racked up 13 kills, hit 52.3 percent (13-2—21), and chalked up eight digs in aiding the Eagles to a three-game win.  

EMORY NOTES  -- Emory stands second among UAA teams in hitting percentage (27.1%), assists (13.64 apg), kills (15.39 kpg) and blocks (2.81 bpg) … Janet Bunning ranks prominently in the league listings in a number of categories including third in both kills (3.77 kpg) and blocks (1.28 bpg), while ranking eighth in hitting percentage (33.3%) and 11th in digs (3.39 dpg) … Bunning has nine matches of double digits in both kills and digs … Freshman Alysse Meyer (Stockton, CA) is seventh among league performers in attack percentage (33.6%) and 11th in kills (2.99 kpg) … Meyer posted a total of 59 kills in the Round Robin II action including 18 against No. 14-ranked NYU which represented her second-highest total of the season … Freshman Hillary Buren (Kansas City, MO) is eighth on the UAA chart in kills per game (3.20 kpg) …  In matches against Chicago, Case Western and NYU, Buren hit 57.1 percent (32-4—49) and now has double-figure kills to her credit in 12 of the 21 matches she has played in … Sophomore Maggie Baird (San Antonio, TX) stands 10th in hitting percentage (31.6%) among UAA players

WEB CASTING OF EMORY VOLLEYBALL AVAILABLE -- Highlight Reel Productions will be offering live web casting with announcing of Emory Men's and Women's Soccer and Volleyball home games this fall.  Games will be available to watch live and on-demand online, and DVDs can be ordered.  Please visit HRPTV.com to gain access to the games.

EMORY  NO. 14 IN CSTV/AVCA POLL – The Emory volleyball squad holds down the No. 14 spot in this week’s CSTV/AVCA Top 25 Volleyball Poll.  Juniata, the national runner-up in 2005, claims the No. 1 spot in the poll with 600 points and all 24 first-place votes.  

Oct. 17

EMORY’S JANET BUNNING NAMED UAA VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Emory University junior Janet Bunning (Washington, DC) has been selected by the University Athletic Association as Volleyball Player of the Week following her performance last weekend at the UAA Round Robin II.  

The 5-foot-10 Bunning helped the squad to a 3-1 mark in the league’s final weekend of regular-season play.  In the 12 games she played in (Emory played a total of 15 games during the weekend), Bunning hit 58.8 percent (52-5—80) while coming up with 25 digs, 17 blocks (7-10) and three service aces.  In a five-game contest against No. 2-ranked Washington, Bunning recorded a career-high 25 kills, hit 60 percent in the match (25-1—40), and registered eight digs and eight blocks (1-7).  In the final match of the weekend against No. 14-ranked NYU, she racked up 13 kills, hit 52.3 percent (13-2—21), and chalked up eight digs in aiding the Eagles to a three-game win.  
Through Oct. 16, Bunning has recorded double figures in attacks in 13 of the 19 matches she has appeared in.  She stands first on the squad in kills per game (3.77 kpg) and blocks per game (1.28 bpg) and holds down the No. 2 spot in digs per game (3.39 dpg).  

The Eagles, 17-8 on the year, return to action this Friday and Saturday (Oct. 20-21) when they host the Emory National Invitational.  Emory will battle Ripon on Friday starting at 4:30 p.m., before taking on Illinois Wesleyan at 7:00 p.m.

The Eagles return to action next Friday and Saturday (Oct. 20-21) when they host the Emory National Invitational.

Oct. 14

EMORY VOLLEYBALL SNAGS THREE-GAME WIN AGAINST CHICAGO IN UAA ROUND ROBIN II PLAY  

The No. 17-ranked Emory volleyball team closed out the first day of UAA Round Robin II play with a three-game win over the University of Chicago.  The Eagles topped the Maroons, 30-18, 30-28, 30-23, raising their record to 15-8 overall, 4-1 in UAA action.

Sophomore Maggie Baird (San Antonio, TX) led the Emory attack with 13 kills while freshman Alysse Meyer (Stockton, CA) contributed 11 attacks.  Freshman Hillary Buren (Kansas City, MO) finished with eight kills.   

The Eagles close out Round Robin II action on Sunday with matches against Case Western and New York University.

Emory was to continue play in the Round Robin II Saturday at 2:00 pm (CDT) with a match against host Chicago.

2006 UAA ROUND ROBIN II SCOREBOARD

Saturday, October 14
10:00 am
Washington University def. Emory, 3-2 (30-28, 30-18, 28-30, 24-30, 15-13)
New York University def. Carnegie Mellon, 3-1 (30-24, 25-30, 30-27, 30-26)
Case Western def. University of Rochester, 3-2 (30-28, 31-29, 27-30, 26-30, 15-4)

12:30 pm
Brandeis def. University of Chicago, 3-2 (35-33, 21-30, 22-30, 30-18, 15-12)
New York University def. University of Rochester, 3-0 (30-27, 30-21, 30-18)
Carnegie Mellon def. Case Western, 3-0 (30-26, 30-22, 30-27)

3:00 pm
Washington University def. Brandeis, 3-0 (30-25, 30-16, 30-14)
Emory def. University of Chicago, 3-0 (30-18, 30-28, 30-23)

Sunday, October 15
9:00 am
Emory def. Case Western, 3-1 (30-21, 30-21, 30-32, 30-24)
Washington University def. Carnegie Mellon, 3-0 (30-24, 30-15, 30-26)
New York University def. Brandeis, 3-1 (30-18, 26-30, 30-25, 30-17)

11:30 am
Emory def. New York University, 3-0 (30-22, 30-23, 30-17)
Washington University def. University of Rochester, 3-0 (30-14, 30-18, 30-23)
Carnegie Mellon def. University of Chicago, 3-0 (30-20, 30-21, 30-24)

2:00 pm
Case Western vs. Brandeis
University of Rochester vs. University of Chicago

Oct. 11

NO. 17-RANKED EMORY VOLLEYBALL SQUAD GEARS UP FOR UAA ROUND ROBIN II

ROUND ROBIN II FACTS – The Emory volleyball team winds up the regular-season portion of University Athletic Association play this Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 14-15) when it travels to Chicago to play in the UAA Round Robin II.  The Eagles tangle with No. 2-ranked Washington University at 10:00 am (CST) on Saturday before playing the University of Chicago at 3:00 pm.  On Sunday, Emory battles Case Western at 9:00 am before closing out with No. 14-ranked New York University at 11:30 am.

THE COACHES – Emory is led by 11th-year Head Coach Jenny McDowell (Georgia, ’89).  During her stint at Emory, McDowell has posted a school and career won-lost ledger of 324-95.  She has eight campaigns of 30 or more wins and has directed the program to 10 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, including a 2003 Final Four appearance.

Rich Luenemann (Eastern Illinois, ’72) is in his eighth year as head coach of Washington University and posts a school record of 262-35.  In 26 campaigns of college coaching, which includes an 18-year stint at St. Francis, Luenemann has a career record of 852-297.

The University of Chicago is led by Dorinda von Tersch (Dayton, ’90) who is in her sixth season with the Maroons. Prior to her current post, she had head coaching assignments at Colgate (1998-2000) and Northeastern Illinois (1997).

Karen Farrell (Brandeis, ’93) is in her second stint coaching the Spartans which covers five years.  Ferrell was the head coach from 1995 through 1998 where she compiled a school record of 88-69.  She returned to the school in March following a seven-year stay as the head volleyball coach at Clark University.  She has a five-year record at Case of 97-84. 

 Ed Caesar (NYU, ’93) is in his fifth campaign with the Violets.  He has enjoyed an extremely successful tenure there, manufacturing a 171-37 record heading into a Wednesday night contest against SUNY New Paltz.

THE RECORDS – Emory posts an overall record of 14-7 including a 3-0 mark in UAA contests. The Eagles dropped two of three matches at the Wittenberg Invitational last Friday and Saturday before recording a three-game win at Catholic University on Monday.

Washington University has steamrolled to a 19-1 overall mark (3-0 in UAA).  The Bears’ only defeat of the season came at the hands of No. 1-ranked Juniata on Sept. 15.  Washington University heads into the weekend on an 11-match win streak.

Chicago starts play this weekend with an overall ledger of 4-20 including a 1-2 mark in UAA play. In their most recent outing, the Maroons dropped a 3-2 road decision to Lake Forest on Tuesday.

Case Western heads into the Round Robin II sporting a 9-15 record that includes a 0-3 effort in league affairs. 

NYU started the week with a 22-3 overall record and owned a 2-1 slate in UAA action with that loss coming to Washington University in Round Robin I action at Emory. The Violets were to play SUNY New Paltz on Wednesday.

ON THE HORIZON – Following the Round Robin II, the Eagles return home to host the Emory National Invitational, Oct. 20-21.

RAMM NAMED UAA LIBERO OF THE WEEK  – For the second straight week, Emory University junior Maggie Ramm (Tampa, FL) has been selected by the University Athletic Association as Volleyball Libero of the Week following her performance at the Wittenberg Invitational.   The 5-foot-9 Ramm totaled 74 digs in three matches over the weekend. She totaled 22 digs in a four-game win against Elmhurst before registering a career-best 28 digs in a five-game setback against Wittenberg.  In the weekend finale against Capital, Ramm chalked 24 digs, her sixth match of 20 or more digs this season.

EMORY NOTES  -- After sitting out the Round Robin I the weekend of Sept. 29-30, freshman Hillary Buren (Kansas City, MO) returned to the lineup at the Wittenberg Invitational and came up with 40 kills, including a team-high 16 terminations in the Capital match.  Buren followed that performance with a 12-kill afternoon against Catholic University.  Buren has 10 matches this year of 10 or more kills to her credit … Freshman Alysee Meyer (Stockton, CA) continues her fine play, racking up 34 kills in the Wittenberg Invitational and 12 more attacks in the Catholic contest.  In addition, Meyer was credited with 11 total blocks (3-8), tying her with Alicia Moore (vs. Lee, 10/16/1995) and Moncia Robbins (vs. Ohio Northern, 10/30/2004) for third place on the school’s single-match list.

WEB CASTING OF EMORY VOLLEYBALL AVAILABLE -- Highlight Reel Productions will be offering live web casting with announcing of Emory Men's and Women's Soccer and Volleyball home games this fall.  Games will be available to watch live and on-demand online, and DVDs can be ordered.  Please visit HRPTV.com to gain access to the games.

EMORY  NO. 12 IN CSTV/AVCA POLL – The Emory volleyball squad holds down the No. 17 spot in this week’s CSTV/AVCA Top 25 Volleyball Poll.  Juniata, the national runner-up in 2005, claims the No. 1 spot in the poll with 600 points and all 24 first-place votes.   

Oct. 9

EMORY VOLLEYBALL SQUAD CLOSES OUT ROAD TRIP WITH WIN AT CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY  

The No.12-ranked Emory University volleyball team snapped a two-match losing streak by claiming a 3-0 win on the road against Catholic University.  The Eagles raised their record to 14-7 following a 30-24, 30-26, 30-21 win over the Cardinals who fell to 13-14.

Freshman Hillary Buren (Kansas City, MO) turned in a solid offensive performance finishing with an outstanding 73.3 hitting percentage, registering 12 kills and just one error in 15 total attempts.   Freshman Alysse Meyer (Stockton, CA) finished with 12 terminations and a 64.7 hitting percent (12-1—17) while sophomore Maggie Baird (San Antonio, TX) chalked up nine kills.

Other statistical leaders included sophomore Madison Robelen (Boca Raton, FL)  with 55 assists and junior Janet Bunning (Washington, D.C.) with 11 digs.

Emory’s next action takes place this Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 14-15) when it competes at the University Athletic Association Round Robin II in Chicago.  The Eagles first opponent on Saturday will be Washington University starting at 10:00 a.m., CST.

The No. 12-ranked Emory volleyball team dropped a pair of matches in its final day of action at the Wittenberg Invitational.  The Eagles dropped a five game decision to No. 14-ranked host Wittenberg (30-28, 30-28, 21-30, 31-33, 15-17) before coming out on the short end of a three-game verdict to Capital University (25-30, 32-34, 25-30).  The setbacks dropped Emory’s overall record to 13-7.

Freshman Rachel Mills (Elizabethtown, KY) led a balanced Emory offensive attack in the Wittenberg contest with 12 kills.  Freshmen Hillary Buren (Kansas City, MO) and Alysse Meyer (Stockton, CA) each totaled 11 attacks with Meyer recording 11 total blocks (3-8).  Sophomore Maggie Baird (San Antonio, TX) rounded out the double-figure attackers with 10 terminations.  Junior Maggie Ramm (Tampa, FL) posted a career-high 28 digs and was complemented in that category by sophomore Madison Robelen (Boca Raton, FL) with 23 digs.

Against Capital University, Buren led Emory with 16 kills while Meyer picked up nine.  Ramm again came up with a fine defensive effort with 24 digs while Robelen dished out 35 assists.

The Eagles return to action on Monday (Oct. 9) when they play at Catholic University starting at 4:00 p.m.

Leading the offensive attack for Emory was freshman Alysse Meyer (Stockton, CA) with 14 kills while freshman Hillary Buren (Kansas City, MO) posted 13 attacks.  Sophomore Maggie Baird (San Anotnio, TX) chipped in nine kills.  Junior Maggie Ramm (Tampa, FL), who was named the University Athletic Association Libero of the Week, continued her stellar defensive play with 22 digs while sophomore Madison Robelen (Boca Raton, FL) registered 13 digs.

Emory will play two matches on Saturday -- against host Wittenberg at 11:00 a.m. and against Capital University at 2:00 p.m.

INVITATIONAL FACTS – After opening University Athletic Conference play on a successful note last weekend, the No. 12-ranked Emory University volleyball squad ventures to the state of Ohio this Friday and Saturday (Oct. 6-7) to take part in the Wittenberg Invitational.  Joining the Eagles will be Elmhurst College, Capital University and host Wittenberg.  Emory will play Elmhurst College on Friday at 4:30 p.m. and then take on Wittenberg (11:00 am) and Capital (2:00 pm) on Saturday.

THE COACHES – Emory is led by 11th-year Head Coach Jenny McDowell (Georgia, ’89).  During her stint at Emory, McDowell has posted a school and career won-lost ledger of 322-93.  She has eight campaigns of 30 or more wins and has directed the program to 10 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, including a 2003 Final Four appearance.

Julie Hall is in her 13th year as head coach of Elmhurst College and posts a school and career record of 352-148.  She has directed the program to eight seasons of 30 or more wins.  

Wittenberg is led by Paco Labrador (Hiram, ’95) who is in his fourth campaign with the Tigers.  He has enjoyed an extremely successful tenure there, recording a 114-20 record heading into the weekend.

Pam Briggs is in her 14th year at the helm at Captial and takes a school won-lost ledger of 291-163 into the weekend. 

SERIES RECORDS – Emory stands 1-0 all-time against the Blue Jays of Elmhurst College, claiming a 3-2 win at home in 2004.  

The Eagles stand 4-2 all-time against Wittenberg.  The last match took place in 2004 when Emory posted a 3-2 triumph.

Emory and Capital have met just once and the Eagles came away with a 3-1 win during the early portion of the 2003 season.

THE RECORDS – Emory takes an overall record of 12-5 into this weekend’s action.  The Eagles won all three matches of the UAA Round Robin I last weekend, defeating Carnegie Mellon (3-1), Brandeis (3-1) and Rochester (3-0).  The Eagles are ranked No. 12 nationally in this week’s CSTV/AVCA Division III Poll.

Elmhurst College will meet Emory with an overall record of 11-10.  The Blue Jays have won eight of their last 10 meetings but dropped a 3-1 decision to Wheaton College on Tuesday.

Wittenberg, ranked No. 14 nationally, checks into the weekend with an overall won-lost slate of 17-5.  The Tigers saw a nine-match win streak come to an end last Saturday when they dropped a 3-2 verdict to Muskingum. 

Capital University has won its last five matches and heads into the weekend a 14-6 record.  Most recently, the Crusaders recorded a 3-0 win at home against Muskingum on Tuesday night.

ON THE HORIZON – Following the Wittenberg Invitational, the Eagles travel to Washington, D.C., to play Catholic University on Monday (Oct. 9).  

RAMM NAMED UAA LIBERO OF THE WEEK  – Junior Maggie Ramm (Tampa, FL) was named UAA Libero of the Week following her performance at the Round Robin.  Ramm was a steadying defensive presence in helping Emory to three wins. She led the team in digs in all three matches, finishing with 58 in 11 games (5.3 dpg).  In the opening match against Carnegie Mellon, Ramm recorded 22 digs, tying her career best in that category, and then posted 20 digs in the Brandeis match.  In the final contest of the weekend against Rochester, Ramm totaled 16 digs in a three-game win and contributed five assists and a season-high four service aces.

EMORY NOTES  -- Freshman Alysee Meyer (Stockton, CA) stepped up in a big way over the weekend in helping the Eagles to three wins. The 6-foot Meyer led the squad in kills in all three matches including a career-best 19 vs. Carnegie Mellon, 14 against Brandeis and 13 against Rochester.  For the weekend, Meyer hit a keen 33.6 percent (46-12—101), totaled 11 digs and 10 total blocks (0-10).  In the final match of the weekend vs. Rochester, Meyer posted a 45.8 attack percentage (13-2—24), three digs and four blocks … Meyer has five matches of 10 or more kills this season … In UAA stats released on Monday, Emory holds down the No. 2 position in kills (15.1 kpg) and blocks (2.73 bpg) per game while ranking No. 3 in digs (18.1 dpg) … Sophomore Ellen Scott (Rancho Santa Fe, CA) doled out 48 assists in the Brandeis match, her second-highest total of the season … Emory recorded double digits in service aces in all three matches of the Round Robin, totaling 38 in the 11 games … The Eagles have nine matches of 10 or more aces this year … Sophomore Maggie Baird (San Antonio, TX) registered 12 kills in the Brandies contest, tying her season high and marking her sixth outing this season of 10 or more in a match … Freshman Hallie Freeborg (Kirkwood, MO) gave Emory a boost in the Rochester match, picking up a season-best seven kills while hitting 41.2 percent (7-0—17) … Sophomore setter Madison Robelen (Boca Raton, FL) dished out a season-high 52 assists in the Carnegie Mellon match … Freshman Kaitlin Westfall (St. Louis, MO) chalked up 16 blocks  (1-15) over the weekend and stands No. 6 among UAA performers in blocks per game (1.08 bpg)
 
WEB CASTING OF EMORY VOLLEYBALL AVAILABLE -- Highlight Reel Productions will be offering live web casting with announcing of Emory Men's and Women's Soccer and Volleyball home games this fall.  Games will be available to watch live and on-demand online, and DVDs can be ordered.  Please visit HRPTV.com to gain access to the games.

EMORY  NO. 12 IN CSTV/AVCA POLL – The Emory volleyball squad holds down the No. 12 spot in this week’s CSTV/AVCA Top 25 Volleyball Poll.  Juniata, the national runner-up in 2005, claims the No. 1 spot in the poll with 600 points and all 24 first-place votes. 

 Oct. 3

EMORY’S MAGGIE RAMM NAMED UAA VOLLEYBALL LIBERO OF THE WEEK

Emory University junior Maggie Ramm (Tampa, FL) has been selected by the University Athletic Association as Volleyball Libero of the Week following her performance last weekend at the UAA Round Robin I which was held at Emory.

The 5-foot-9 defensive specialist was a steadying influence in helping No. 13-ranked Emory to three wins in the opening weekend of conference play.  Ramm led Emory in digs in all three matches and finished the weekend with 58 in 11 games (5.3 dpg).  In the opening match of the Round Robin against Carnegie Mellon, Ramm recorded 22 digs, tying her career best, and then posted 20 digs in the Brandeis match.  In the final contest of the weekend against Rochester, Ramm totaled 16 digs in a three-game win and contributed five assists and a season-high four service aces.

Ramm leads the team and holds down the No. 5 position among UAA players in digs (3.84 dpg).  She has recorded 10 or more digs in 10 of the 13 matches she has played in.

Emory volleyball, 12-5 overall, returns to action this Friday and Saturday (Oct. 6-7) when it plays at the Wittenberg Invitational.

Oct. 2

EMORY vs. LEE  UNIVERSITY VOLLEYBALL MATCH RESCHEDULED

The Emory University volleyball team’s Tuesday (Oct. 3) match at Lee University has been rescheduled.  The Eagles will now meet the Lady Flames on Wednesday, Oct. 25.

Head Coach Jenny McDowell and her squad get back into action on Friday (Oct. 6) afternoon when the Eagles battle Elmhurst College at the Wittenberg National Invitational.

Sept. 30

EMORY VOLLEYBALL DEFEATS ROCHESTER -- GOES 3-0 IN UAA ROUND-ROBIN ACTION

The No.13-ranked Emory University volleyball team closed out a successful University Athletic Association Round Robin Saturday afternoon with a three-game win over the University of Rochester.  The Eagles boosted their record to 12-5 overall, 3-0 in the UAA, following a 30-20, 30-14, 30-27 win over the Yellowjackets who slipped to 14-5 overall, 1-2 in the UAA.

Emory combined efficient hitting along with solid defensive play in securing the win.  The Eagles hit 40 percent in the match (56-12—110) while limiting Rochester to 16.4 percent (33-15—110).  Emory enjoyed a hefty 54-36 advantage in digs while posting a 9-1 margin in blocks.

Emory hit a combined 48.5 percent (41-7—70) in the first two games en route to a 2-0 match lead.  In the third game, the Eagles hit 25.0 percent while Rochester managed a 12.8 percent (15-9—47) mark.

Freshman Alysse Meyer (Stockton, CA) paced the team with 13 kills and finished with a 45.8 attack percentage (13-2—24).  Classmate Rachel Mills (Elizabethtown, KY) came through with 12 kills and rounded out the double-digit kill producers for Emory.  Sophomore Maggie Baird made the most of her offensive opportunities, hitting 50 percent (9-2—14), and contributed a pair of service aces and three block assists. Junior Maggie Ramm (Tampa, FL) recorded a match-high 17 digs and dished out four aces while sophomore Madison Robelen (Boca Raton, FL) finished with 42 assists and nine digs.

“Our goal this weekend was to go 3-0 in the round robin so that when we go to Chicago in a couple of weeks for the second round robin we could be in a position to do some good things,” Emory head coach Jenny McDowell said after the match.  “Maybe at times it didn’t look pretty in getting to 3-0 but the players found a way to win and we will take it.”

For the match, Meyer registered a season-best 19 kills while chipping in seven digs.  Sophomore Maggie Baird (San Antonio, TX) finished with 11 attacks and provided the Eagles with a presence at the next with six blocks (1-5).  Mills rounded out contingent of Emory performers to finish with double digits in terminations with 10.  Junior Maggie Ramm (Tampa, FL) paced the team with 22 digs, and sophomore Madison Robelen (Boca Raton, FL) dished out 52 assists while notching 16 digs.

“It wasn’t pretty and we had to scrap all afternoon,” Emory Head Coach Jenny McDowell said following the match.  “Carnegie Mellon was battling and it kept a lot of balls off the floor.  We juggled the lineup and the team did a good job of staying patient until we got things working. 

“I thought that Alysse Meyer got some big kills for us while Maggie Ramm did a great job passing.  Maggie Baird gave us some key blocks after being moved to the middle from the right side.  Carnegie Mellon is a good club and it was a total team effort for us today.”

2006 UAA Round Robin Scoreboard

Friday, Sept. 29

12:30 pm          Rochester def.  Brandeis, 3-2 (22-30, 22-30, 30-28, 30-26, 16-14)
                        Washington University def. Case, 3-0 (30-25, 30-13, 30-13)

3:00 pm            Emory 3, Carnegie Mellon 1 (27-30, 31-29, 30-26, 30-26)
                        NYU 3, Chicago 1 (30-26, 30-23, 26-30, 30-24)

Saturday, Sept. 30

9:00 am            Washington Univ. def. Chicago, 3-0 (30-11, 30-19, 30-17)
                        Emory def. Brandeis, 3-1 (30-11, 30-18, 32-34, 30-19)
                        Carnegie Mellon def. Rochester, 3-2 (28-30, 28-30, 30-11, 30-23, 15-11)

11:30 am          Washington Univ. def. NYU, 3-2 (27-30, 30-18, 17-30, 30-17, 15-10)
                        Chicago def. Case, 3-1 (30-21, 30-27, 27-30, 30-21)
                        Carnegie Mellon def. Brandeis (30-21, 30-22, 30-16)

2:00 pm            NYU def. Case, 3-0 (30-21, 30-19, 30-22)
                        Emory def. Rochester, 3-0 (30-20, 30-14, 30-27)

Sept. 27

NO. 13-RANKED EMORY VOLLEYBALL TO HOST UAA ROUND ROBIN

UAA ROUND ROBIN FACTS – After winning three of four matches last weekend at its Emory Tournament, the Eagles’ volleyball team begins the conference portion of their schedule this Friday and Saturday (Sept. 29-30) when they host the University Athletic Conference Round Robin I.  Action gets underway on Friday at 12:30 p.m. with two matches, Rochester vs. Brandeis and Washington University vs. Case Western.   At 3:00 p.m., Emory will play Carnegie Mellon while NYU takes on Chicago.   The Round Robin continues on Saturday with matches being played at 9:00 a.m., 11:30 p.m., and 2:00 p.m.
 
THE COACHES – Emory is led by 11th-year Head Coach Jenny McDowell (Georgia, ’89).  During her stint at Emory, McDowell has posted a school and career won-lost ledger of 319-93.  She has eight campaigns of 30 or more wins and has directed the program to 10 consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament, including a 2003 Final Four appearance.

Kim Kelly (Gettysburg, ’92) is in his second year as head coach of Carnegie Mellon and starts the weekend with a school record of 29-26.  In 10 seasons as a head coach, which includes an eight-year stint at Gettysburg College, Kelly has a career record of 279-108.    

Brandeis is led by Michelle Kim (Binghamton, ’96) who is in her third campaign with the Judges.  Prior to her current post, she served as an assistant coach at Brandeis from 1999 through 2004.

Linda Downey (Ithaca College, ’75) is in her fourth year at the helm at Rochester and takes a school won-lost ledger of 88-47 into the weekend.  In each of her first three seasons, she has guided the program to 20-plus wins.  The 2006 campaign marks Downey’s eighth year as a head coach.

SERIES RECORDS – Emory stands 18-10 all-time against the Tartans of Carnegie Mellon. The Eagles have won the last eight meetings between the two schools including a pair of 3-0 decisions last year.

The Eagles stand 23-6 all-time against Brandeis including two 3-0 wins last year.

The all-time series between Emory and Rochester is deadlocked at 14-14.  Last year, the Eagles came away with a pair of 3-0 decisions against the Yellow Jackets.

THE RECORDS – Emory takes an overall record of 9-5 into this weekend’s action.  The Eagles won their first three matches of the Emory Tournament last weekend, defeating Rockford College (3-1), Washington & Lee (3-0) and No. 16 Mount Saint Joseph (3-2), before coming out on the short end of a 3-0 outcome against No. 22-ranked Carthage.  The Eagles are ranked No. 13 nationally in this week’s CSTV/AVCA Division III Poll.

Carnegie Mellon comes to town with an overall record of 7-8.  In its most recent outing, the Tartans won three of four matches last weekend at the Carnegie Mellon Crossover Tournament, defeating Gettysburg (3-1), Nazareth (3-0) and RIT (3-0) before dropping a 3-0 verdict to Stevens Institute. 

Brandeis will start the weekend with an overall won-lost slate of 6-4.  The Judges participated in the Amherst Invitational last weekend and split four matches.   

Rochester has won its last four matches and heads into the Round Robin I with a 13-3 record.  Most recently, the Yellow Jackets recorded a five-game win on the road against Ithaca on Tuesday night.

ON THE HORIZON – Following the UAA Round Robin I, the Eagles travel to Lee University (TN) on Tuesday, October 3. 

EMORY NOTES –  Junior Janet Bunning (Washington, DC) and sophomore Madison Robelen (Boca Raton, FL) were named to the Emory All-Tournament Team for their play last weekend … Over the course of the four matches (13 games), Bunning recorded a team-leading 51 kills, a 31.7 hitting percentage (51-17—107), a team-best 57 digs and 14 blocks (0-14).   She paced the team in kills and digs against Washington & Lee (16/16), in kills against No. 16-ranked Mount Saint Joseph (15) and in kills against No. 22-ranked Carthage (13). She hit a blistering 58.3 percent (16-2—24) against Washington & Lee, the third-best effort by an Emory player this season … Robelen averaged 12.2 assists per game and registered a season-high 49 assists in the match against Mount Saint Joseph … In addition to her assists total, she contributed 51 digs including 17 in the Mount St. Joseph contest that tied her second-highest effort of the campaign … Emory has six matches of 10 or more service aces this year … The Eagles dished out 11 aces against Washington & Lee and 12 against Mount St. Joseph … The five-game match against Mount St. Joseph marked the Eagles’ third five-gamer of the year and they stand 2-1 in such contests, 6-2 since the 2004 season … Emory’s 38.5 hitting percentage (51-14—96) in the Washington & Lee match represented the squad’s second-highest effort in that category this year … Freshman Alysse Meyer (Stockton, CA) gave the Eagles a boost off the bench last weekend, averaging 3.0 kills per game in the five games she saw action last weekend … Freshman Kaitlin Westfall (St. Louis, MO) established a season high of nine kills in the Rockford College match … In UAA stats released at the start of the week, Emory stood No. 2 in kills (14.8 kpg) and blocks per game (2.70 bpg) and was third in digs per game (18.3 dpg).

WEB CASTING OF EMORY VOLLEYBALL AVAILABLE -- Highlight Reel Productions will be offering live web casting with announcing of Emory Men's and Women's Soccer and Volleyball home games this fall.  Games will be available to watch live and on-demand online, and DVDs can be ordered.  Please visit HRPTV.com to gain access to the games.

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