Box Score

FREDERICKSBURG, VA -

The Basics
• Score: Johns Hopkins 1, Juniata 3 (24-26, 25-21, 15-25, 21-25)
• Records: JHU (20-9), Juniata (25-6)
• Location: Fredericksburg, VA · William M. Anderson Center
• The Short Story: The Johns Hopkins volleyball team concluded its season with a 3-1 loss to Juniata in the NCAA Second Round. The Blue Jays finish 2016 with a record of 20-9, the best under head coach Tim Cole, and the program's first ever NCAA Tournament win.

How it Happened
• Johns Hopkins tallied three unanswered points and worked out to an early 10-4 lead before Juniata called a timeout and made adjustments. The Eagles chipped away at the Blue Jay's lead, mounting a five-point run to win the first set 26-24. Elizabeth Wuerstle led the team with three kills on four attacks, including the first kill of the match. Wuestle also served an ace in the opening set. Fourth other Blue Jays tallied at least one kill in the first set, and Sarah Elnozahy handed out eight assists to open the match.
• The Blue Jays held a somewhat steady three-point lead to begin the second set and increased their lead to as much as six points, 20-14. Unlike the first set, Hopkins prevented a late run by the Eagles, closing out the set with a service ace by Erica Johnston for the 25-21 win. Johns Hopkins limited errors in the second set and took advantage of Juniata's attack errors. Both teams notched 14 kills in the set, but the Blue Jays tallied just two errors, while the Eagles recorded seven in the set. Wuerstle and Kristi Rhead led JHU with four kills, while Ally Hirsch added three kills without an error in the set.
• Hopkins powered out to a 5-0 lead to begin the second set, but the Eagles responded quickly, posting a seven-point run of their own to take the lead. Juniata did not surrender the lead, ultimately winning the set 25-15. The Blue Jays struggled all over the court in the third set, while Juniata's offense and defense worked efficiently to shut down Hopkins. JHU recorded eight attack errors and only four digs in the set. The Eagles also held the advantage at the net, tallying 5.0 total team blocks to the Blue Jays' 1.0. Wuerstle led the team for the third straight match with four kills, and Elnozahy dished out nine assists for the second set in a row and added a service ace.
• The fourth set featured three tied scores early before Juniata pulled away to a 13-6 lead. The Blue Jays attempted a run late in the set, cutting the Eagles' lead to 24-21 before Juniata recorded one more kill for the 3-1 victory. Wuerstle had her strongest showing of any set with seven kills and a service aces. Defensively, Esther Hong and Elnozahy each notched four digs, finishing the match with 12 and 11 digs, respectively. While the Blue Jays limited errors on offense, they only recorded 11 kills. Juniata, on the other hand, had 19 kills and also limited attack errors in the final set. The Eagles also recorded 19 digs, six more than Hopkins.

Inside the Box Score
• All-Tournament Team selection Elizabeth Wuerstle improved on her 16 kills in the First Round with 18 kills against Juniata. Her 18 kills are the second most by a Blue Jay in an NCAA Tournament match.
• Sarah Elnozahy also set another Hopkins record with 33 assists in the loss. This marks the 12^th match this season in which Elnozahy has dished at least 30 assists.
• Elnozahy and Esther Hong each tallied double-digit digs for the second straight set. The Blue Jays have had at least two players with at least 10 digs in all but one NCAA Tournament match.

What it Means
• Johns Hopkins sits at 1-4 in NCAA Tournament matches all-time with a 1-1 record in 2016.
• The Blue Jays have fallen in every match against Juniata and hold an 0-7 record after dropping two matches to the Eagles this season.
• This marks the first 20-win season since 2012 and the first under head coach Tim Cole. This is also the first season with single-digit losses under Cole.
• Senior Ally Hirsch graduates with a 63-43 career record and will leave her mark in the JHU record book with 660 career kills, the 18^th most by a Blue Jay.

Coach's Corner
• Opening statement by head coach Tim Cole: "I'm proud of so many things about this team and our program. It is easy make assumptions from the outside about the direction we are headed, but future success is not a given. There is certainly much to celebrate in our results, and our process was stronger in some areas than it has ever been. It feels particularly good as a coach for the way we've been 'home grown,' developing players and leadership with smaller recruiting classes of the right people. All of the members of our big family are wonderful. My people have worked hard to reach this level, and old school grinding is something we are proud to represent. We competed with joy and with class and take representing Johns Hopkins as an honor."
• On senior Ally Hirsch: "Ally Hirsch pulled us along in so many ways that don't show up directly in the box score. We will need to continue to do some significant evolving as she is around less frequently. I'm so proud of Hirschey. She is such an excellent person. Her best years and greatest contribution lay ahead of her, both in her actions and in her lasting influence."
• On senior manager Brendan Hong: "Brendan Hong brought so much to our program in the last two years that his graduation will also create a massive void in our leadership and spirit."
• On the future for Hopkins volleyball: "Looking ahead, we aim to go further, train better, and have an even more unified program. I'm always wary of youngsters getting too much too easy, and the winter, spring, and summer will show just what sort of standards we have and what we are willing to do to grow. Our freshmen contributed a ton on the court this year, and were uneven in their attitudes. We hope we are developing a hallmark of this program in that our players significantly mature. So far, they all have, but it doesn't 'just happen' - I'm looking forward to the rocky road ahead."
• Closing statement: "I love my team. We're heartbroken together."