The Hopkins volleyball team opened up Centennial Conference action on Tuesday, Sept. 17, against Washington College. The key for the Lady Jays was to take control of the match early and start conference play off with a bang. Due to some stiff competition early in the season, the Lady Jays are about as battle-tested as possible heading into the most important stretch of their season thus far.
Well, starting off conference play with a sweep of in-state foe Washington is a pretty good way to kick the conference slate off.
Hopkins defeated the Shorewomen 3-0, with junior Meagan Donohoe leading the way for the Lady Jays. Donohoe led a group of nine players with her 18 kills, while seven other Jays recorded an assist in the match. The first set proved to be the challenge for Hopkins. Late in the set, Hopkins was holding on for dear life with a one point lead, 23-22. Kim Brinson came through in the clutch though, notching the last two points of the set with two kills.
The drama subsided from the rest of the match though, as Hopkins’ leads grew from set to set. In the second set, Hopkins jumped out to a 22-15 lead, eventually winning 25-20 thanks to the steady and consistent play from Donohoe.
In set two, Donohoe tallied half of her kills for the night with nine. In the third and final set, Hopkins jumped into cruise control and eased their way to a 25-18 victory.
Following the match, sophomore Carolyn Zin offered her thoughts on the team’s performance. “We have been working on our mental toughness along with the physical part of our game as we continue to become more consistent and strive to achieve our goals”, said Zin. “It’s all about the process and every game will help us to learn and grow as a team.”
Fellow sophomore Gabi Rothman followed up on Zin’s comments, saying, “The mantra of this season has been to stay composed and at an elevated neutral energy state for the entire match. We fluctuated a lot in our energy this match so we know what we need to work on and we are excited to see what is to come this season.”
The season for the Lady Jays has offered them the chance to experience a new coach as well as facing some of the nation’s best squads. When asked to reflect on the season thus far, Donohoe seemed confident the team is heading in the right direction. “We're really focused on being process oriented and using every match and practice as a learning experience”, said Donohoe. “We've grown a lot this season, both mentally and physically, but we still have a long way to go. We're getting there, and we know that there will be ups and down along the way, but we all understand that that's part of the growth process. Overall, we've made great strides as a program this season and we're looking forward to improving our skills, getting stronger and becoming more mentally tough."
She also offered some very positive thoughts about the help new coach Tim Cole has offered to the team. “Coach Cole has spent a lot of time training us mentally, so we can stay calm in pressure situations. Our overall approach to the game is changing and we're learning things about ourselves as players that we've never explored before.”
Hopkins returns to the net next on Saturday, September 21, as the travel to Allentown to face Muhlenberg. With another Centennial Conference match on tap, the team will look to continue their recent stretch of dominance as they work towards the conference championship.
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