ATLANTA, Ga. -- Facing a No. 1 team for the first time in the Division III era of the program, the Covenant volleyball team was defeated by Emory 3-0 (25-11, 25-16, 25-16) on Friday afternoon at the Emory Classic in Atlanta.
With the loss, Covenant has dropped three straight and moves to 1-3 overall. Emory, ranked No. 1 in this week's AVCA Top 25 and the 2014 Division III runner-up, maintains its unbeaten record at 6-0.
Chelsea VanDyk led the way for Covenant with 10 kills and a hitting percentage of .273. Schuyler Moore tallied 19 assists and four digs, while Ariana Buchanan had a team-high 12 digs. Morgan Opgenorth produced three kills and no attack errors in nine attempts.
Emory opened the first set by scoring the first five points and seven of the first eight to build a comfortable lead at 7-1. Covenant trimmed its deficit to 11-6 after a Jessica Seehorn kill, but the Eagles went on a 10-3 run to seize a 21-9 advantage and take the first set.
The Lady Scots made adjustments and stuck with the powerful Emory squad in the second set. The set featured six ties and Covenant was within one at 14-13 after a Schuyler Moore kill. The following rally was a long one that Emory eventually won and the Eagles used that momentum to score six of the next seven points for a 20-14 lead.
Covenant again fell behind early in the third set as Emory completed the sweep with a another 25-16 victory.
Kathyrn Trinka led all players with 15 kills to go along with a .538 hitting percentage. Syndey Leimbach added nine kills, while Shannon Nugent had eight. Emory hit .447 as a team with just six attack errors. Sydney Miles accumulated 43 assists and Becky Breuer had 13 digs for the Eagles.
UP NEXT
Covenant will play twice on Saturday to conclude the Emory Classic. The Lady Scots will face Johns Hopkins at 11 a.m., followed by a matchup with Susquehanna at 1 p.m. at the Woodruff PE Center.
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