Blue Volleyball Falls at No. 9 Emory, 3-0

Blue Volleyball Falls at No. 9 Emory, 3-0

ATLANTA, Ga. – Emory University opened the match with a 25-5 first set victory en route to a 3-0 match victory over Wellesley College volleyball on the opening night of the Emory Invitational Friday evening at the Woodruff PE Center.

Emory, the ninth ranked team in the nation, improves 6-3 after defeating Mary Washington and the Blue on Friday night. Wellesley is now 5-4 on the year.

For the Blue, sophomore Yasmine Reece (New Rochelle, N.Y.) totaled a team-best seven kills. Sophomore setter Michelle Li (Scarsdale, N.Y.) added 15 assists but the Wellesley offense had difficulty finding a rhythm throughout the match. On defense, sophomore Samantha Hoang (Elk Grove, Calif.) and first year Kennedy Ulfig (Saline, Mich.) each had 10 digs to lead the Blue. Hoang also had a team-best three service aces. 

Emory senior Kathryn Trinka (North Bay Village, Fla.) had a match-high 11 kills for the Eagles. Trinka, a third-team All-American in 2015, led all players with a .429 hitting percentage. First year Sarah Porter (Atlanta, Ga.) and junior Hannah Billings (Shawnee, Kan.) split the setting duties, with Porter totaling a match-high 16 assists and Billings adding 11 more. First year Andie McKinnon (Durham, N.C.) led all players with 16 digs, while sophomore Mira Grinsfelder (St. Paul, Minn.) and senior Sarah Mahar (Orange, Calif.) each chipped in with 10 apiece. 

The Eagles overwhelmed the Blue in the opening set, hitting .526 as a team to take a 25-5 victory. The hosts opened the match on a 10-1 run, eventually taking a 20-1 edge in the first set. 

Wellesley rebounded to open the second set, battling the Eagles to a 7-7 tie through the first 14 points. Emory used a 3-0 run to create some distance, at 10-7, and held on to the lead for the remainder of the set. The Blue got within two late in the game, at 21-19, but Emory would go on to take the 25-21 second set victory. The hosts then went on to close out the match with a 25-14 victory in the third set.

Both teams continue play at the Emory Invitational tomorrow, Saturday, September 17. Wellesley will play Maryville (Tenn.) at 12:00 PM and Covenant at 4:00 PM. Emory will host Transylvania at 10:00 AM before closing out the weekend with Maryville (Tenn.) at 2:00 PM.