ANNAPOLIS, MD – Seventh-ranked Johns Hopkins won four straight matches to capture to its 17^th straight Centennial Conference Championship Saturday afternoon. The Blue Jays beat the 32^nd-ranked Swarthmore Garnet, 5-1, at the Brigade Sports Complex. Hopkins improves to 18-4 on the season while Swarthmore falls to 13-5.
 
Ashley Chang and Lia Melvin wasted little time in giving the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead as the duo beat Lola Diaz and Kathleen Shiffer, 8-1, at number three doubles. The Garnet answered when Erica Stutz and Nathalie Williams beat Sophia Kim and Jay Xiao, 8-5, at one. Swarthmore looked poised to go up 2-1, as Oviya Kumaran and Spencer Watts led 6-3 at two. But Sydney Langer and Kamila Wong rallied to tie the match at seven and force a tiebreaker. Kumaran and Watts went up 4-2 in the breaker before Langer and Wong won the final five points to take the match and give Hopkins a 2-1 lead heading into singles.
 
After playing a lengthy match in doubles, Wong didn't need long to get off the court in singles. In fact, she needed just 13 games as she beat Kumaran 6-1, 6-0 at number five to put the Blue Jays up 3-1. Mary Beth Hurley pushed Hopkins closer the championship with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Diaz at one. Chang the clinched the win and the title when she beat Shiffer 6-2, 6-2 at three.
 
Wong was named the Centennial Conference Tournament MVP after going a combined 3-0 in the two matches. Hopkins is now 32-1 all-time in the Centennial Conference Tournament, including a perfect 16-0 in the title match (there was no tournament in 2021). The Blue Jays will carry a 10-match win streak into the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Dan Pollock now ranks third in program history with 52 wins with the Blue Jays.
 
The 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket will be announced on Monday, May 6 at 12:00 pm.