Oct. 1, 2011

Box Score

SWARTHMORE, PA - The Johns Hopkins volleyball team earned a important 3-2 win over Centennial Conference foe, Swarthmore, Saturday afternoon. The Blue Jays took the five-match set with game scores of 19-25, 26-24, 20-25, 25-17, 17-15. The Blue Jays improve to 12-4, 3-0 in the conference while the Garnet move to 13-5 overall and fall to 1-2 in the Centennial.

The Garnet jumped out to an early lead over the Blue Jays in the first set. With Swarthmore up 5-4, a kill from freshman Meagan Donohoe tied the score at five a piece, but the Garnet would pull away and take the first set, 25-19, behind two separate four-point runs.

To open the second set, the Blue Jays got out to a quick 2-0 lead. The two teams exchanged points until the Blue Jays used a four-point run to lead the Garnet 9-4. The Blue Jays led three, 18-15, before the Garnet battled back to eventually tie the game at 19. After a three point run, the Blue Jays held a 22-19 advantage before Swarthmore tied the set at 24. Hopkins would eventually take the second set, 26-24 after two miscues by the Garnet.

The third set began much like the first with the Garnet getting an early lead which the Blue Jays could not catch. Hopkins would use two separate three point runs to pull within in one of Swarthmore twice, but could not take the lead. The Garnet went on to win the third set, 25-20 to take a 2-1 set lead.

Being down 2-1 in sets, the Blue Jays would not back down and easily took the fourth set to tie the match at four. After exchanging the first two points of the set, the Blue Jays used a seven point run to take a 7-1 lead. The Blue Jays would hold on to the lead and only allow the Garnet to pull within four points at 20-16 before cruising to a 25-17 win to force a deciding game five.

In one of the closest matches the Blue Jays have played in this season, set five of this match would be no different. With neither team take more than a two point lead to open the set, the Garnet used a three point run to get on top of the Blue Jays, 12-9. Swarthmore had its first game point of the set, 14-12 and the Blue Jays scored three-straight points to take a 15-14 lead. After Swarthmore tied the game at 15, a kill from freshman Kim Bronson to give the Blue Jays their second game point of the set. The Blue Jays finished off the set to win 17-15 and take the match.

Donohoe had a season-high 18 kills in the five-set match, while Bronson was right behind her with 10. Freshman Mariel Metalios handed out 40 assists and added 12 digs while senior Melissa Cole and freshman Katie Schwarz each had a match-high 24 digs.

Johns Hopkins will return to action when the Blue Jays come home on October 5 to host CC foe Franklin & Marshall in a key conference match with the game time set for 7 pm.