BALTIMORE, MD – The Johns Hopkins volleyball team continued its dominant run through conference play on Saturday afternoon, sweeping Franklin & Marshall in straight sets at the Mayser Center, 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-23). With the win, the Blue Jays improve to 18-3 overall and remain undefeated in Centennial Conference action at 5-0. The victory also marks their eighth consecutive win over the Diplomats.
The opening set started evenly, with the teams knotted at 4-4, before Franklin & Marshall surged ahead with a 6-2 run to take a 10-6 lead. Hopkins responded with composure, using a four-point burst—highlighted by kills from
Simone Adam,
Michela De Marzi and
Alice Yu, along with a key block from Adam and Yu—to even the score at 12-12.
Hopkins seized momentum with a 3-0 run to take a 15-13 lead, powered by another block from Adam and Yu. The Blue Jays maintained control, extending their lead to 22-17 with strong net play and kills from
Celine Ebert and De Marzi. Though the Diplomats closed the gap to 23-21, Adam delivered a timely kill to set up set point, and Ebert capped off the set with a kill to secure the 25-22 win.
Franklin & Marshall came out fast in the second set, jumping to a 5-0 lead before a service error put Hopkins on the board. The Blue Jays methodically chipped away, tying the score at 10, helped by a crucial solo block from De Marzi. The set remained tight with back-and-forth action until
Anna Pantano notched a pair of kills to give Hopkins a late edge at 23-21. Adam followed with another kill to set up set point and
Nicole Tuszynski sealed the set with a service ace, 25-22.
The Blue Jays opened the final frame with a 2-0 lead on kills from
Helena Swaak and Ebert, but quickly found themselves trailing 6-3. The Diplomats extended their lead to 9-4 before Hopkins mounted a comeback, tying the set at 12 with offensive contributions from Swaak and Pantano.
Both teams traded points in a tense middle stretch until a block by Swaak and Yu gave Hopkins a two-point edge at 18-16. The Diplomats leveled the score at 21, but Hopkins responded with a decisive three-point run featuring kills from Adam and Pantano. Up 24-21, the Blue Jays withstood a brief F&M rally before Ebert slammed down the match-winning kill to complete the sweep, 25-23.
Defensively, Tuszynski anchored the back row with 10 digs, while Yu led the blocking effort with four blocks. Offensively, Adam paced Hopkins with a match-high 14 kills on an efficient .478 hitting percentage.
The Blue Jays return to action on Wednesday, October 22, hosting McDaniel at 7:00 PM inside Goldfarb Gymnasium.
