MIDDLETOWN, CT – The Johns Hopkins volleyball team wrapped up its weekend with a split at Silloway Gymnasium, earning a hard-fought 3-1 win over Endicott before falling to Tufts in four sets on Saturday afternoon. The Blue Jays defeated the Gulls 3-1 (25-23, 25-18, 26-28, 25-18) and dropped a tightly contested match to the Jumbos 3-1 (25-19, 18-25, 21-25, 23-25), moving to 12-3 on the season.
 
Game 1: Johns Hopkins 3, Endicott 1
Hopkins wasted no time asserting control in the opening frame, jumping out to a 6-3 lead behind kills from four different Blue Jays—Anna Pantano, Celine Ebert, Alice Yu and Simone Adam. The Blue Jays maintained a steady cushion throughout a back-and-forth set, gradually stretching their advantage to 19-14 and forcing an Endicott timeout. The Gulls responded with a late push, cutting the deficit to one at 22-21. But Adam silenced the rally with a clutch kill to bring up set point at 24-21. Three points later, a miscue by Endicott handed Hopkins the first set, 25-23.
 
The second set saw Hopkins come out even hotter, racing to a 6-1 lead on a pair of kills from Michela De Marzi and service aces from Helena Swaak and Jocelyn Pye. The Jays kept their foot on the gas, extending the lead to as many as eight at 14-6. Endicott chipped away to close the gap to 14-10, but Hopkins answered with a dominant six-point run, fueled by three kills from Adam and Pye and another ace from Pye. That run pushed the lead to double digits, 20-10. The Gulls strung together a brief three-point burst, but the damage was done. A setting error by Endicott secured the second set for the Jays, 25-18, and a 2-0 match lead.
 
Looking to close the match in straight sets, Hopkins again surged out front in the third, 6-2, behind kills from Adam and Ebert and a pair of Endicott errors. The Jays built their largest lead of the set at 16-6, appearing in full control. But Endicott refused to fold. The Gulls clawed back, eventually narrowing the margin to 23-19. A kill by Swaak brought up match point at 24-19, but Endicott stunned the Jays with a five-point run to knot the set at 24. The set would be tied again at 25 and 26 before Endicott capitalized on a set-point opportunity. A block by Reagan Mitchell and Talia Camacho closed out the comeback, 28-26, sending the match to a fourth set.
 
Unfazed, the Blue Jays regrouped quickly in the final frame. Hopkins jumped out to a 5-1 lead thanks to early kills from Adam and Pye. Consecutive kills from Ebert and Swaak pushed the margin to 13-6. Endicott responded with a four-point run to close the gap to 17-12, but Hopkins slammed the door shut. Annika Anderson delivered a crucial ace to stop the Gulls' momentum and extend the lead to 20-12. Yu put down a kill for match point at 24-14, and after another brief Endicott rally, Yu and Swaak sealed the win with a block at the net, 25-18.
 
Defensively, Nicole Tuszynski and Swaak anchored the back row with 19 digs apiece. At the net, Adam, Swaak and Yu each posted four blocks, leading a Blue Jay front line that held Endicott to a .151 hitting percentage.
 
Game 2: Johns Hopkins 1, Tufts 3
The Blue Jays opened the first set with energy, jumping out to an 8-4 lead behind a Simone Adam kill and a pair of Jumbos errors. Hopkins kept the pressure on, stringing together a four-point run to push the advantage to 12-6. From there, the Jays took full control of the frame. A solo block by Alice Yu widened the margin to 20-12. Tufts responded with a four-point spurt to close the gap to 20-16, but Hopkins remained composed. A Jumbos miscue brought up set point at 24-18, and two rallies later, Michela De Marzi capped the set with a kill, giving Hopkins a 1-0 match lead.
 
The second set flipped the script, with Tufts racing out to a 4-0 lead before a service error got Hopkins on the board. The Jumbos continued to surge, building a commanding 14-3 advantage. Refusing to fold, the Blue Jays fought back with a five-of-six run, sparked by kills from De Marzi and Helena Swaak, cutting the deficit to 15-8. However, Tufts halted the comeback and reestablished control with a 21-9 lead. Hopkins made one final push, trimming the margin to 23-18, but it wasn't enough. A kill by Maiwenn Kamdje closed the set for Tufts, 25-18, evening the match at one set apiece.
 
Hopkins again found itself in an early hole in the third, trailing 3-0 before an Adam kill put the Jays on the board. A block and another kill from Adam helped Hopkins close the gap to 7-6, and a Swaak kill knotted the score at seven. The Blue Jays took the lead with a four-point burst, highlighted by an Anna Pantano and De Marzi block and kills from Swaak and Annika Anderson, pulling ahead 14-10. As the set tightened late, Tufts chipped away and reached set point at 24-20. Hopkins fought off one, but a kill from Emma Heckman sealed the frame for the Jumbos, 25-21, giving them a 2-1 edge.
 
The fourth set was a back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to build more than a two-point lead early. A Hopkins error gave Tufts a 15-12 advantage, and the Jumbos extended it to 18-13, prompting a Blue Jay timeout. Out of the break, Hopkins responded with three straight points to cut the deficit to 18-16. The Jays then surged ahead with a 4-0 run, fueled by three kills—two from Adam, one from Celine Ebert—and an ace by Jocelyn Pye to grab a 21-19 lead. But the Jumbos had the final word. After trading points down the stretch, back-to-back kills by Bridget Lonergan closed the set and the match, 25-23.
 
Hopkins return to action Friday, October 3, hosting York at 7PM in its first home match in three weeks at Goldfarb Gymnasium.