The fall sports season is in its final stages and a number of Emory Athletics teams are positioning themselves for solid runs in the postseason.
This weekend, the women of Emory's volleyball team head to the University Athletic Association championships in Rochester, N.Y., as the No. 1 seed, while Emory's women's and men's soccer teams play their final home games on Saturday at Woodruff PE Center against the University of Rochester.
Here are highlights of how Eagle squads fared in October, with details of when you can cheer them on this month. Emory athletic events are free and open to students, faculty, staff and the community to attend.
Volleyball
The volleyball team closed out the month of October riding the crest of an 18-match winning streak that had raised its overall record to 30-2, the ninth straight year that the program had posted 30 or more victories.
The Eagles rolled through the University Athletic Association portion of their schedule with a perfect 7-0 won-lost slate, which included a dramatic 3-2 come-from-behind win over then No. 1-ranked Washington University. They enter the upcoming league championships (Nov. 6-7 in Rochester) as the No. 1 seed.
Senior setter Sydney Miles is making a big push for national player of the year honors and ranks No. 2 in the D-III ranks in assists per set while junior middle Jessica Holler stands No. 2 on the national scene in hitting percentage.
Once the UAAs are completed, head coach Jenny McDowell and her squad eagerly await the NCAA D-III Tournament with the opening rounds being played on campus sites, Nov. 13-15. The D-III Championships will be staged in Grand Rapids, Mich., the weekend of Nov. 19-21.
Men's Soccer
The men's soccer team compiled a 3-2-1 record during the month of October, highlighted by a dramatic 1-0 win at home over then No. 17-ranked Washington University, which at the time represented the Eagles' sixth straight victory.
Following a setback at Case Western University, the Eagles battled to a 1-1 double-overtime draw at Carnegie Mellon before returning home to post a 1-0 overtime decision against South Region foe Birmingham Southern. Emory then came out on the wrong end of 0-1 outcomes against Brandeis University and NYU.
Senior goalkeeper Abe Hannigan has six shutouts heading into the final regular season game on Nov. 7 against the University of Rochester and has a program all-time record of 23.
November home game:
- Nov. 7: 1:30 p.m. at Woodruff PE Center vs. University of Rochester
Women's Soccer
If you enjoy watching soccer, the Emory women's soccer team provided plenty of opportunity for that, as the squad finished off October by playing four consecutive double-overtime contests that also stretched into a Nov. 1 encounter.
The Eagles employed a stout defense, which featured some standout goalkeeping by senior Liz Arnold, and surrendered just six goals over a seven-game stretch. However, a goal drought slowed down Emory with the team mustering only a pair of goals in that span, one of those coming in a 1-1 overtime deadlock at NCAA Division I member Kennesaw State University.
Arnold has compiled five shutouts on the year and holds down the No. 3 spot on the program's all-time chart with 18 whitewashes.
Emory, 7-6-4, will close out its season on Saturday, Nov. 7. with a home date vs. the University of Rochester.
November home game:
- Nov. 7: 11 a.m. at Woodruff PE Center vs. University of Rochester
Men's Cross Country
The men's cross country team competed in three events during the month of October, culminating with a fifth-place finish at the University Athletic Association Championships in Boston.
Prior to the league championships, Emory captured a first-place finish at the Jacksonville State University (JSU) Foothills Invitational followed by a 16th-place effort out of 45 programs at the talent-filled AAE Invitational in Winneconne, Wis.
Senior Lukas Mees posted a second-place finish out of 76 entries at the UAA Championships, and in the process became the first Emory men's runner since 2009 to earn First Team All-UAA honors.
Upcoming meets:
- Nov. 14: NCAA South/Southeast Region Championships (Kernstown, Va.)
- Nov. 21: NCAA Championships (Winnceconne)
Women's Cross Country
The women's cross country team enjoyed an extremely successful month of October, resulting in a No. 14 national ranking as the squad headed into the UAA Championships.
After claiming a first-place effort at the JSU Foothills Invitational, the Eagles made a huge statement at the AAE Invitational in Winneconne, coming away with a fifth-place performance out of 46 teams.
Highlighting that meet was all five Emory scorers registering personal-best 6K times, headed up by senior Elise Viox who clocked a 22:17.
Viox continued her memorable campaign by crossing the finish line in the No. 8 spot out of 80 entries at the UAA Championships, which enabled her to garner Second Team All-UAA recognition. Viox has been Emory's No. 1 finisher in all six of her competitions this year.
Upcoming meets:
- Nov. 14: NCAA South/Southeast Region Championships (Kernstown)
- Nov. 21: NCAA Championships (Winnceconne)