BALTIMORE, MD – The Johns Hopkins volleyball team pulled off a thrilling upset Friday evening, knocking off fifth-ranked Juniata, 3-2 (26-24, 19-25, 23-25, 25-19, 15-7), inside a raucous Goldfarb Gymnasium. The Blue Jays overcame a 2-1 deficit by taking control late in the fourth set before dominating the decisive fifth, extending their winning streak to four straight and improving to 7-5 on the season.
The Blue Jays weathered an early Juniata push in the opening set before battling back to take a 19-17 lead. The Eagles answered to move ahead 23-21, but Hopkins closed the set with five of the final six points, with
Bethany Sherwood delivering the decisive block to give the Blue Jays a 26-24 win and an early 1-0 lead.
Juniata (7-3) responded by taking the second set, 25-19, to even the match. Hopkins then appeared poised to regain control after building a 10-4 advantage in the third set. The Blue Jays maintained their lead into the latter stages of the frame, but a late four-point Juniata run flipped the set and gave the Eagles a 25-23 victory and a 2-1 match lead.
Facing elimination, Hopkins answered with its strongest stretch of the night. The Blue Jays held a 16-13 advantage midway through the fourth before Juniata rallied to tie the set at 16-16. Hopkins then closed with a 7-1 run, punctuated by a Sherwood and
Emma Wang block, to take the set 25-19 and force a fifth.
Hopkins carried that momentum into the deciding set, racing out to a 7-1 lead and never looking back. The Blue Jays continued to control the final frame, with an
Ella Wismer kill putting Hopkins ahead 13-5 before Sherwood delivered the final blow with a kill to seal the 15-7 set victory and the five-set upset.
Ivy Swafford led all players with a match-high 21 kills, while
Annika Anderson directed the offense with a team-high 24 assists. Sherwood anchored the defensive effort with seven blocks, and
Nicole Tuszynski finished with a match-high eight digs.
The Blue Jays return to action Saturday, October 3, when they travel to Bryn Mawr to open conference play. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. inside the Class of 1958 Gymnasium.
Gallery: (10-2-2026) Volleyball vs. Juniata
