The Emory University volleyball team delivered another massive statement on Saturday morning at Woodruff Arena, outlasting top-ranked Centre College 3-2 (20-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-21, 15-9). The victory marks Emory's fourth top-10 win of the season, improving the Eagles' record to 17-6 overall.
The back-and-forth battle featured 24 ties and 11 lead changes. Centre seized early control of the match, opening with a .382 hitting percentage to take the tightly contested first set 25-20. Emory bounced back immediately in a tense second frame, hitting .244 and executing down the stretch to level the match with a 25-23 victory. Both offenses clicked at a high level in the third, but Centre managed to edge the Eagles 25-23 behind 18 kills to reclaim a 2-1 match lead.
Facing a must-win scenario in the fourth, Emory put together its most dominant offensive set of the morning, swinging at a .458 clip with 12 kills and just one error to force a decisive fifth set with a 25-21 win. The Eagles then dominated Centre's attack in the final frame, limiting the visitors to a .091 hitting percentage while securing the 15-9 match-clinching victory.
Gabija Staniskis paced the Emory offense with a team-high 16 kills, adding 4 block assists and 14 receptions.
Sophia Luo delivered an efficient performance, slamming down 14 kills on a .560 hitting percentage with 3 blocks.
Maeve Stevenson turned in a stellar all-around match with 13 kills on a .500 clip, 3 service aces, and 8 total blocks (2 solo, 6 assists), while
Ella Moore chipped in 7 kills and
Maria Flynn provided a spark off the bench with 3 kills and a block.
In game two the Emory University volleyball team dropped a hard-fought four-set decision to Washington and Lee University (25-9, 25-27, 17-25, 21-25). The loss moved the Eagles' record to 17-7 on the season.
Emory came out firing in the opening frame, dominating with a .522 hitting percentage and six service aces to cruise to a 25-9 victory. Washington and Lee turned the tide in a marathon second set, edging the Eagles 27-25. The Generals carried that momentum into the third, controlling the pace to win 25-17. Emory fought hard to extend the match in the fourth, putting down 16 kills, but Washington and Lee held on for a 25-21 decision to secure the match.
Maeve Stevenson led the Emory attack with 14 kills on a .379 hitting percentage, adding 5 block assists.
Ella Moore contributed 9 kills and a block assist, while
Sophia Luo chipped in 8 kills.
Skylar Giuliani hit .333 with 7 kills and 4 blocks.
Â
