As a result of an astonishing display of skill and sportsmanship this past weekend, the Hopkins women’s volleyball team won all four of their matches and was crowned tournament champions of the Days Inn Blue Jay Classic in Elizabethtown, Pa.
The winning streak began Friday afternoon as the Lady Jays defeated the York College Spartans 3-1. After a strong first set that ended in the Lady Jays prevailing 25-17, the Spartans came back, hitting .423 and winning the second set 18-25. However, the Lady Jays ultimately triumphed, winning both the third and fourth sets 25-15. The team totaled 46 kills, 22 of which were split between freshman Kristi Rhead and sophomore Ally Hirsch and 38 assists, all of which came from Rhead and junior Carolyn Zin. The Lady Jays served a combined 10 aces and held York College to only one. Senior Anne Cohen and freshman Erica Johnston led the team defensively with 11 and 10 digs, respectively.
In their second game of the day, the Lady Jays prevailed over SUNY Stony Brook, winning 25-21, 25-8 and 25-21. Junior Ali Cox led the team in scoring with 12 kills, while Rhead and Zin again combined for 38 assists. Defensively, the team saw a well-rounded performance with Cohen, sophomore Stephanie Yokoyama and Johnston tallying 13, 12 and 11 digs, respectively.
On Saturday, the team continued their outstanding performance, beating Lebanon Valley College 3-1. Hirsch and freshman Liz Wuerstle tallied 10 kills apiece, and Cox and Johnston scored seven kills each. Rhead and freshman Mereze Visagie rounded out the scoring with four kills each. On top of her offensive contribution, Johnston led the team defensively with 20 digs. The team as a whole served 15 aces, as opposed to only 5 from Lebanon Valley College. The Lady Jays won with set scores of 25-23, 25-18, 23-25 and 25-21.
In their final match of the tournament, Hopkins finished strong against the Elizabethtown Blue Jays, the tournament hosts, winning in straight sets with scores of 25-22, 25-10 and 25-20. Johnston carried the team with nine kills, five service aces, six digs and a block assist. Visagie recorded seven kills and Cohen recorded 10 digs.
With an impressive total of 25 kills, 12 service aces and 47 digs over the course of the four matches, Johnston was named tournament MVP. Yokoyama was named to the all-tournament team after a weekend performance that included five service aces and 27 digs. The four victories add to a win against Susquehanna last Wednesday for a five-game winning streak and a bright turnaround for the Lady Jays, who lost three of their four games in a tournament last weekend. Their overall record now stands at an even 8-8, and they will be looking to continue their streak and turn the season into a winning one.
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