BALTIMORE, MD – The Johns Hopkins volleyball program opened its 2026 season in front of a raucous crowd Friday evening, sweeping Penn State Altoona, 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-21), in the opening match of the Greg "Gio" Giovanazzi Memorial Tournament inside Goldfarb Gymnasium.
Despite entering the season with a relatively inexperienced group that had limited time together on the court, the Blue Jays (1-0) showed no signs of growing pains in their season opener. An explosive kill from
Ivy Swafford—her first of a match-high 16—provided an early spark as Hopkins raced out to a 6-1 lead. The Lady Lions (1-1) answered with five straight points to take a 10-8 advantage before extending their lead to 14-11.
Kills from Swafford,
Celine Ebert and
Josephine Kinlan helped Hopkins erase the deficit and even the set at 14-14. The Blue Jays then scored four straight, capped by a
Bethany Sherwood kill, to reclaim an 18-15 advantage. An ace from
Emily Overtoom and a Penn State Altoona mis-hit later gave Hopkins a 25-21 victory and a 1-0 match lead.
Penn State Altoona jumped out quickly in the second set, taking a 5-2 lead, but Hopkins responded with four consecutive points, including a pair of kills from Swafford, to move in front, 6-5. After the teams traded points, an Ebert kill ignited an 8-0 Blue Jays run. Kinlan capped the surge with back-to-back aces, putting Hopkins firmly in control at 20-12. The Lady Lions attempted to mount a comeback, but a pair of late Swafford kills helped the Blue Jays close out the set, 25-18, and take a 2-0 lead.
Ebert opened the third set with a pair of kills to give Hopkins an early 8-4 advantage. Penn State Altoona battled back to even the score at 14-14, and the teams continued to exchange runs throughout the middle portion of the set. The Lady Lions eventually pulled ahead, 19-18, but Hopkins responded with a decisive 7-2 run to close out the match. Kinlan delivered the finishing blow with a powerful kill, securing the 25-21 set victory and the 3-0 sweep.
Annika Anderson led the Blue Jays with 21 assists, while Sherwood anchored the defense at the net with a team-high four blocks. Kinlan added eight kills, 12 digs and two aces, while
Nicole Tuszynski paced Hopkins with 15 digs.
The Blue Jays return to the court Saturday for a pair of matches at the Greg "Gio" Giovanazzi Memorial Tournament. Hopkins will face UMass Boston at 10 a.m. before wrapping up the tournament against William Paterson at 4 p.m.
Gallery: (9-4-2026) Volleyball vs. Penn State Altoona
