CLAREMONT, CA – The Johns Hopkins volleyball team bounced back in a big way in the final day of the East-West Classic Saturday night, topping Colorado College 3-1 (25-10, 25-20, 30-32, 25-9) before upsetting second-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 3-1 (25-20, 25-23, 19-25, 25-15) to finish their second consecutive weekend with a 2-1 record. The victory over the Athenas was Hopkins' first in program history and its highest-ranked win since beating No. 1 Emory in the 2019 National Championship.
 
Game 1: Johns Hopkins 3, Colorado 1
 
The Jays (4-2) put together an impressive showing in their opener against the Tigers, compiling a season-high .409 hitting percentage and holding Colorado to just .144, including two sets in the negatives. Simrin Carlsen and Simone Adam shared the team lead in kills at 20 each while Helena Swaak put on an absolute clinic as a setter, dishing out a career-best 59 assists, falling just seven shy of the program record of 66 set in 2005. Hopkins also had their best defensive performance of the young season, tallying new high-water marks in blocks (10) and digs (66), led by Pamela Chiakpo and Carlsen respectively.
 
Adam got things started with a kill that sparked a 6-0 opening run for the Jays to take the early lead in Set 1. The sides traded runs — with Hopkins' kills coming from Carlsen, Alice Yu and an ace from Chidinma Onukwugha — until the score read 10-4 before the game got out of hand. A short 3-0 run cut the Jays' lead to three before a 4-0 response that started with another kill from Carlsen put Hopkins up 14-7. A 3-2 stanza saw the Jays go up 17-8 before a set-sealing 7-1 run that included kills from Onukwugha, Chiakpo and Carlsen, as well as a Chiakpo-Onuwkwugha block put Hopkins up 24-9. The first set ended with Onukwugha's fifth kill, handing the Jays the 25-10 win.
 
The second set was more tightly contested, with Colorado taking a 3-1 opening lead before a series of ties ensued until the game was knotted at nine. From there the Tigers used an 8-1 run to jump ahead 16-10. Hopkins slowly chipped away at the deficit with kills coming from Adam, Carlsen, Chiakpo and Yu, before an 8-0 run put them firmly ahead 22-19. Colorado stopped the onslaught with a point to make it 22-20 before another 3-0 burst — all three of which came from Adam — put the Jays up 2-0.
 
Saturday's third set was the first of the season to go beyond 25 points for Hopkins, who once again found themselves down early, this time by a score of 7-4. Like the second set, however, the Jays kept within striking distance before a 6-1 run put them ahead 25-24 with a chance to close the game. The Tigers would not give in, however, trading points with Hopkins until the score was knotted at 30 before recording the next two points to force a fourth set.
 
In their third consecutive game to reach at least four sets, the Jays took it to Colorado early and never looked back. A 7-3 start to the set put Hopkins in the driver's seat before another 6-2 run made it a 13-5 game. The Tigers got two points back before another. 6-2 run put the Jays up 19-9. With the win within reach, Hopkins rallied for a decisive 6-0 run to close the set and the match, 25-9.
 
Game 2: Johns Hopkins 3, CMS 1
 
The Jays' final match of the weekend was against host and second-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, who entered the contest fresh off a 3-1 win over No. 6 Trinity (TX). Facing their first true road test of the season, Hopkins put together a complete team effort to earn the important win.
 
Carlsen — whose efforts over the weekend landed her a spot on the All-Tournament Team — once again paced the Jays' attack with 18 kills, followed by a career-best 15 kills from Chiakpo. Swaak followed up her career-best 59 assists with another 48 helpers to go along with a team-high 12 digs, while Yu led the way defensively with a season-high five blocks.
 
The first game of Saturday's finale was level to begin before a quick 4-1 run with kills coming from Chiakpo, Carlsen and Yu put Hopkins ahead 8-4. The Athenas responded with a 4-1 run of their own to cut the lead back to one before yet another 4-1 run by the Jays made it a 13-9 game. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps ate into the lead but were never able to level it, with a 4-0 run led by a pair of blocks and set-ending kill by Yu handed Hopkins the 25-20 win.
 
Set 2 told the same tale, with the Jays grabbing the lead at 8-7 and never relinquishing it. A pair of 3-0 runs saw Hopkins go up 15-10 before another 5-0 stretch with kills from Swaak and Carlsen — as well as one of three Evelyn Batista aces — made it 21-14. The Athenas tried to put together a run of their own, making it as close as 24-23 before a kill from Chiakpo put Hopkins up 2-0.
 
Like in their match against Colorado the Jays faultered in the third set, hitting a game-low .194 en route to the 19-25 loss, before bouncing back in a big way in the fourth.
 
Saturday's final set started in Hopkins' favor, with the Jays taking an early 7-3 lead. A 3-0 response from Claremont made it a one-point game before the sides traded points until the score was 16-14. From there, Hopkins used a 6-0 run to all but put the game out of reach, with a match-clinching 3-1 run with kills by Adam and another ace from Batista wrapping up the weekend with a 3-1 victory.
 
The Jays will be back in action next weekend to compete in the Ithaca Tournament. Festivities kick off Friday, Sept 15 with a matchup against Ithaca before Hopkins faces Susquehanna and Geneseo Saturday.