Consistency drives Volleyball win

The Hopkins volleyball team notched their fifth Centennial Conference win this past weekend, defeating the Bryn Mawr College Owls. The Lady Jays were able to win the match in straight sets, bringing their overall record to 9-8 and charging up the conference leader board, as they now stand tied with McDaniel at fourth place overall. The Jays were able to total 15 aces on the match, while sophomore Caitlin Callihan led the way with 14 kills to secure a crucial conference victory.

In the first set, Hopkins started off slow, as they fell down 16-18 to the Owls. However, after a timeout, the team was able to rebound and come from behind to win the set 25-22. “Time outs are taken so that we can control the pace of the game,” Callihan said. “Nothing was specifically said about being behind on the scoreboard because we play the same every point, no matter the score. During the timeout in that first set, we simply took a minute to regain control of the game and go back to the court and play Hopkins volleyball.”

The break proved to be the difference in the match and gave Hopkins much needed momentum heading into the second set.

During the next set, junior Kim Bronson was dominant on serve as she notched four straight aces, while the Jays eventually won the set 25-14. Callihan commented on the serving success. “During the past week, the team had been really working on serve receive and tough serving, for those are two of the most important bases of the game," she said. "However, preparing for the actual match against Bryn Mawr was not approached any differently than any other match of the season. Despite our loss the night before, the team came into the gym ready to play to our best abilities by being efficient and purposeful in every play.”

The strong play was seen again in the third set, as Hopkins took an easy victory beating the Owls 25-11, claiming the straight sets conference win.

The game was an important achievement for the team, as they were able to secure a win on senior day. Prior to the game, the Jays showed their appreciation for the one senior, and team captain, Erica Levenbaum.

Callihan had nothing but great things to say about her captain. “Since I have known Erica, she has been an amazing captain, teammate and friend," Callihan said. "Her leadership is inspiring in every way possible. The team knows that we can always count on her and we can always expect her to be her best self no matter what situation she is in. Losing Erica will be tough on the entire team. However, the legacy that she leaves behind will stick with the Hopkins volleyball program for years to come.”

Levenbaum has been a tremendous leader, both on and off the court. Over the course of her volleyball career at Hopkins, she has made the trip to the NCAA Tournament twice. Her experience will be invaluable while leading this young group towards another playoff birth and Centennial Conference championship.

The team will have to use this win as a momentum booster, as they will face off against another conference opponent, and fellow fourth ranked team McDaniel on Wednesday, Oct. 23.

“Winning our match against Bryn Mawr was great, but we have to focus on our next opponent because every team in our conference is different," Callihan said. "Going into these next games, we have to focus on maintaining our level of competitiveness, practicing mindfully and purposefully, and bringing our best to every match, no matter who is on the other side of the net.”

With many Conference opponents remaining on their schedule, the Blue Jays will need wins to improve their in-conference seed and make their way to the playoffs.