BALTIMORE, MD – The Johns Hopkins volleyball team opened the Hopkins Invitational with a commanding sweep of Hardin-Simmons on Friday evening at Goldfarb Gymnasium. The Blue Jays took the match in straight sets, 25-16, 25-20, 25-21, improving to 4-0 on the season – their best start since 2021.
Hopkins wasted no time asserting control, jumping out to a 9-3 lead in the first set behind a pair of service aces from
Annika Anderson. Although the Cowgirls battled back to cut the deficit to four on multiple occasions, the Blue Jays responded with a pair of three-point runs, sparked by strong net play. Freshman
Celine Ebert led the charge with a match-high 11 kills on an efficient .429 hitting percentage, while
Jocelyn Pye stepped up in place of
Ivy Swafford with key kills down the stretch. Hopkins closed out the opening set, 25-16.
The second set saw a momentum shift early as Hardin-Simmons took a 7-3 lead. Undeterred, the Blue Jays stayed composed and rallied to tie the frame at 10. Hopkins' offense came alive with kills from five different players, including a set-high five from
Simone Adam and four more from Ebert. With a balanced attack and sustained pressure, the Jays pulled ahead to take the set, 25-20, and a 2-0 match lead.
The third and final set was a back-and-forth battle, with neither team gaining more than a four-point advantage. Down 16-12, Hopkins mounted a late-set surge. A clutch kill from
Michela De Marzi, assisted by
Helena Swaak — who finished with a game-high 17 assists — sparked a comeback that gave the Blue Jays an 18-17 edge. Hopkins held on to that momentum, extending the lead to 23-20 before Adam sealed the win with a decisive match-ending kill.
Defensively, libero
Nicole Tuszynski anchored the back row with 16 digs, while Pye added 14 of her own in a standout all-around performance.
The Blue Jays return to action on Saturday in the final day of the Hopkins Invitational, squaring off against UMass Dartmouth at 10AM before wrapping the weekend up with a contest against Colby-Sawyer at 2PM.
