Brockport, NY – If it was a sprint to 15 in every set, the Clarkson University Volleyball team would have enjoyed a three set win on Saturday, but the Golden Knights couldn't hold off Emory's late charges and fell to the Eagles in four sets (25-20, 25-21, 23-25, 25-17) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament's Brockport Regional on Saturday afternoon.

The Golden Knights saw their 2016 record finish at 22-15, while Emory advances to the regional final with a record of 32-5.

In the first set, Rachael Aird carried the offensive load for the Golden Knights, scoring almost at will against Emory in the early going. With the game tied up at 10-10, Aird delivered her fifth kill of the set to give Clarkson the lead and the Knights pushed their advantage to three (15-12) following a Rachel Reusch kill. Emory took a timeout and changed the pace of the set as Jessica Holler helped Emory rattle off six straight points by not giving the Knights much time to take a breath as soon as a ball would fall. Holler delivered an ace to give Emory an 18-15 lead, and though Clarkson would climb back to within one on three occasions, the Eagles scored five of the final six points (all but an Aird kill) to take the first set.

Emory used that momentum to start the second set with five straight points, but Aird again was there to push Clarkson back into contention with two straight kills and a solo block. Though Clarkson still trailed by four (12-8) in the early going, the Knights took a timeout and regrouped, gaining six straight points to take a 14-12 lead after block assists from Katrina Lane and Rachel Reusch. Again the Knights were the first to 15 and led by three (17-14) after block assists from Lane and Aird, but Emory wouldn't allow the set to get away from them. Kendall Cheval earned a kill to make the score 20-17 in favor of Clarkson, but the Eagles scored the next five to take the lead. Clarkson miscues down the stretch gave Emory their points and the Eagles sealed the second set win 25-21.

To most observers it looked like it would be a three-set sweep as all of the momentum appeared to be on Emory's side, but the Golden Knights maintained a plucky attitude and kept the third set close before making a move at the midway point. Emory led 12-10, but back-to-back kills from Cheval and Reusch tied the score at 12-12 and another kill by Reusch saw Clarkson as the first to hit 15 again (15-14). This time they would not relinquish their lead, allowing Emory only to briefly tie the score at 15-15 before going on a 5-1 run thanks to an ace by Reusch (20-16). Cheval delivered a kill to give Clarkson a 24-21 edge, and though Emory would score consecutive kills to get back within striking distance, Reusch scored her fourth kill of the set to end it, 25-23 for the Knights.

The fourth set was again tight as the two teams were tied 13-13 following a kill by Emory's Jessica Holler. However, that point was just the beginning of a 6-0 run that gave the Eagles a five-point advantage (18-13). Sophia Holms briefly stopped the momentum with a kill from the outside, but the Eagles scored four more points to take an eight-point edge. Aird and Reusch earned kills in the waning points, but the deficit proved too much to overcome as the Eagles closed out Clarkson in four with a 25-17 victory in the fourth game.

Aird finished with a team-best 16 kills and also tossed in three blocks and five digs, while Reusch contributed 10 kills, seven digs and four blocks. Kendall Cheval added seven kills and 11 digs, while Sophia Holms (six kills) and Katrina Lane (four blocks) also added to the Clarkson tally. Jillian Saenz ran the offense with 42 assists and Kate Isaksen led the back row with 19 digs.

For Emory, Jessica Holler had an impressive all-around effort with 18 kills, eight digs and seven total blocks, while Sarah Maher hit .440 with 12 kills and 13 digs. Sydney Leimbach also added in 11 kills with a .417 hitting percentage and Beck Breuer produced 15 digs. Hannah Billings and Mady Arles shared setting duties with 30 and 27 assists, respectively.