The Hopkins women’s volleyball team went 1-1 this past weekend against Eastern University, which is ranked at #16. The team also swept Neumann University away in St. Davids, Pa. on Saturday afternoon.
The Jays opened their match against Eastern with a resounding win, leading by three service aces smashed by sophomore Michelle Abt. Junior Erica Johnson and senior Ally Hirsch were also standouts in the first set, ending with a 25-16 victory.
Hopkins then dropped the next two matches by scores of 14-25 and 9-25, falling one set away from defeat. The Jays would then come roaring back in a thrilling 26-24 win in extra sets. As a team, they would rack up 12 kills to bring the game to a fifth set. Ultimately, Hopkins would fall in the final set with a score of 15-8.
Displaying incredible resilience, the Blue Jays would bounce back with a resounding sweep against Neumann. Junior Elizabeth Wuerstle led the way in the first set, notching seven kills, while sophomore Sasha Gorelik notched five. In the second set, Neumann came out strong as Hopkins battled to four separate ties until they took an 11-10 lead.
From that point forward, Hopkins would not trail again. They ultimately closed out a 25-18 win. Taking that momentum forward in the final set, the Blue Jays remained dominant. They recorded four total blocks, while Neumann only managed seven kills compared to their nine errors. Hopkins sealed the sweep with a 25-16 win.
This weekend’s play brings the Blue Jays to a 5-3 record, their fastest start in eight years.
In an interview with hopkinssports.com, Coach Tim Cole reflected on his team’s successful performance against Eastern.
“We are capable of playing at a nice level. The team is going to have to develop at competing when things are imperfect.” Cole said. “Eastern was bigger than us at every position, so I’m pleased with the way our skills and training are closing that gap. We need to accelerate and deepen our learning curve.”
He was also complimentary of Neumann’s effort.
“Neumann is a young team, but played more maturely than their age due to some fine coaching. We were better in our mental engagement in some of the areas that have been troubling us lately, particularly our handling of overpasses,” Cole said.
Hopkins takes the court next week with games against two Conference rivals, Haverford College and Muhlenberg College on Wednesday and Friday night, respectively.
The games will mark both the start of Conference play and the team’s first games on Homewood Campus. The journey to the Centennial Conference playoffs and beyond will be in full swing. It will be exciting to watch the Jays on the court this fall.
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