Volleyball fizzles in first round ECAC

The Johns Hopkins Volleyball team concluded another successful season this week in a disappointing fashion, losing 3-1 against Grove City in the first round of the ECAC South Women's Volleyball Championship. However, the team finished with its eighth consecutive winning season, compiling a 16-15 record for the year.

Of the match, junior middle Sarah Payne said, "The ECACs were sort of an afterthought. After all the energy and heart we put into the [Centennial Conference] playoffs we just didn't have much left to give at the ECAC. We played for fun, but not for a win.we wanted to win, but not really badly."

Senior hitter Emily Miller once again led the team with 14 kills, while junior middle Liz Breese followed up with 11. Freshman setter Betsy Baydala led defensively with 13 digs and added 10 assists;

Courtney Cromwell also played well, earning 28 assists and 10 digs. Cromwell said of the loss, "Our ECAC finish this weekend was disappointing because we lost but we were honored to have been invited. Grove City was a good team and caught us on a bad day After our loss to Muhlenburg last weekend, the team morale was rather low and we really didn't step up to the occasion. However, two of our players were able to break important records which helped put this season in the record books."

Miller and Baydala both set new Hopkins records: Miller became the second player in school history to total 400 kills and 400 digs in one season, while Baydala set the single-season record for most aces in a season, with 88.

Miller also had the distinction of earning first team All-Centennial Honors, and was the only Hopkins player to be named to an All-Conference team.

Looking back on the season, it is impressive to see how the team ended up, after starting off relatively slow. Payne commented, "I would say that earlier in the season we definitely struggled and I don't think anyone expected us to finish very well."

Cromwell agreed, saying, "We had a very rough start in the beginning of the season with a lot of new players playing a lot of positions that were foreign to them."

With two seniors, including top player Emily Miller, leaving, the team will be working hard in the off-season to keep up their level of play. Cromwell said of the off-season, "We will be having spring ball, playing in a few tournaments against some prestigious teams around the area to get some good competition, and will hopefully get some new players in to round off our rough edges. We will greatly miss our two seniors for all their hard work."

Overall, the team seems to be satisfied with their accomplishments.

"This season really turned around for us and our bid to playoffs was a real accomplishment for all of us," said Cromwell. "I have never been part of a team that played with so much desire and emotion as we played during Gettysburg and F&M."

Payne noted, "One of the upperclassmen commented that this team was nearly as skilled as last year's team, but we played better as a team and that's really important in this sport.