BALTIMORE, MD – The Johns Hopkins volleyball team wrapped up Day 1 of the NCAA Tournament Regional with a matchup against Lasell Thursday night, sweeping the Lasers 3-0 (25-11, 25-9, 25-11) to advance to Day 2 of the tournament for the fourth consecutive year.
The Blue Jays' attack was unstoppable all night, setting a new program record for hitting percentage in an NCAA match, tallying 43 attacks on 67 attempts with just six errors for a .552 final percentage.
Chidinma Onukwugha played a large part in that record falling, as the junior set a new individual record herself for hitting percentage in an NCAA tournament game, registering nine kills on 11 attempts with no errors to hit .818, overtaking the record of .800 set by
Alice Yu a season ago.
Simrin Carlsen shared the team-lead in kills with Onukwugha at nine, while
Simone Adam (8) and
Pamela Chiakpo (7) also made strong contributions.
Helena Swaak finished with a match-high 30 assists, Carlsen and Yu registered three aces apiece to lead the match, and defensively it was Onukwugha totaling a team-best three blocks in a complete team victory.
The Blue Jays (26-4) wasted no time taking control of Thursday's match, using a pair of Onukwugha kills to spark a set-opening 7-0 run. The Lasers (27-5) finally got themselves on the board via kills from McKenna McCool and Juliana Medini, but Lasell's points were immediately followed by another 6-0 run to shoot Hopkins ahead 13-2. Following the initial burst from the Jays the set remained relatively even, with a 4-0 Laser run making it 19-10, but shortly after the sides traded points to make it 20-11, a Carlsen kill ignited a set-closing 5-0 run, ending the first stanza 25-11.
Set 2 started similarly, with a 5-0 run to start the frame that included a trio of Carlsen enders putting the Jays firmly in the driver's seat. Hopkins slowly built its lead to 12-5 before Chiakpo's second kill of the set kick started another 5-0 run to extend the advantage to 12 at 17-5. For every one point the Laser were scoring the Jays would answer with two until the score read 22-9 and Adam, Chiakpo and Yu combined for the next three kills to end the set 25-9 and put Hopkins ahead 2-0.
The final set of Thursday's match started with a block from Carlsen and Onukwugha, but it was Lasell responding with a 4-0 run to take its largest lead of the evening. There with a response, however, were the Blue Jays, who went on their own 12-2 run started by a kill from Carlsen to soar in front 13-6. A McCool kill ended the run but not Hopkins' momentum, as a Swaak kill — one of the setters season-high four on the night — ignited another 7-1 run to put the Jays up 20-8 and all but seal the victory. Kills from Chiakpo and
Eloise Estrada as well as a pair of errors by the Lasers put Hopkins ahead 24-11, with Onukwugha's ninth kill setting a new program record and ending the set 25-11 and match 3-0.
Next up for the Jays is Round 2 Friday, Nov. 17 where they will face off against Middlebury after the Panthers swept Manhattanville in their opening matchup. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
