BALTIMORE, MD – The Johns Hopkins volleyball team outlasted Swarthmore in a thrilling five-set match on Wednesday evening at Goldfarb Gymnasium, securing a 3-2 victory (25-20, 20-25, 25-18, 25-27, 15-8). With the win, the Blue Jays improve to 17-3 on the season and remain undefeated in conference play at 4-0. The victory also extends their winning streak over the Garnet to four matches, marking the first five-set showdown between the teams since 2017. Additionally, senior
Simone Adam etched her name into the record books with her 1,315th career kill, moving into third place on Hopkins' all-time kills list.
The first set was a back-and-forth affair until Hopkins broke open a 1-1 tie with a six-point run, fueled by kills from
Michela De Marzi,
Celine Ebert and
Alice Yu, a service ace from
Nicole Tuszynski and a block by Ebert and Yu. This propelled the Blue Jays to a 7-1 lead. Swarthmore responded, leveling the score at 12-12 before briefly taking the lead at 15-12 after a six-point run. However, Hopkins answered with a four-point surge of its own, reclaiming the lead at 17-15, thanks to kills from Adam, De Marzi, Ebert and Tuszynski. After a series of trades, a kill from Adam brought Hopkins to set point, 24-19, and Yu sealed the opening set with a final kill to give the Blue Jays a 25-20 win.
Swarthmore came alive in the second set, which remained tight through 16-16. However, the Garnet surged ahead late, taking a 20-16 lead. Hopkins fought back with three consecutive points, but Swarthmore regained momentum and closed out the set, 25-20, on an Isabel Adam kill, evening the match at 1-1.
The third set saw both teams exchange early runs, with the score tied at 5-5 before Hopkins erupted for eight of the next nine points, taking a 13-6 lead. Kills from Adam, Yu,
Helena Swaak and
Annika Anderson, along with two aces from Swaak, helped the Blue Jays build a commanding advantage. Hopkins extended its lead to nine points, 19-10, and though the Garnet made a late push, they could not overcome the deficit. A block from Yu and Swaak clinched the set, 25-18, and gave Hopkins a 2-1 lead in the match.
The fourth set was a tense back-and-forth battle. Both teams found themselves tied at 20, and the Blue Jays fought off multiple set points before Swarthmore ultimately took the set, 27-25, leveling the match at 2-2. The Garnet capitalized on a late surge, winning the final two points to force a fifth set.
In the decisive fifth set, Swarthmore briefly held a 7-6 lead, but Hopkins quickly regained control with a five-point run. Kills from Yu and Adam, along with a block from Swaak and Yu powered the Blue Jays to an 11-7 advantage. Although the Garnet narrowed the gap to 11-8, Hopkins held firm and closed out the match with a 4-0 run, featuring kills from De Marzi and
Jocelyn Pye, plus two service aces from Yu, to secure a 15-8 win and the match victory.
Defensively, Tuszynski anchored the Blue Jays with 27 digs, while Yu led the blocking effort with six blocks and De Marzi added five. Offensively, Ebert paced Hopkins with a team-high 16 kills.
The Blue Jays return to action on Saturday, October 18, when they travel to Lancaster, PA, to face Franklin & Marshall at 1:00 PM inside the Mayser Center.
