This past weekend, the Hopkins volleyball team emerged triumphant from the Centennial Conference tournament, upsetting top seeded Franklin and Marshall (F&M) and defeating number three seed Muhlenberg en route to a berth in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The Lady Jays became the first team in history to win the Centennial Conference Tournament as a number four seed, and have now won the tournament for three straight years.
On Saturday, Nov. 9, the team traveled to Lancaster, Pa. to take on the top seeded F&M Diplomats. After two sets, the match was tied at one apiece before Hopkins pulled ahead for the victory. That being said, it was not an easy battle. In the first set, Hopkins lost leads of 10-7 and 17-13 before taking the set 26-24 after two consecutive kills from junior Meagan Donohoe ended the Diplomats chances of completing their rally. The second set, however, was a different story, as Hopkins trailed for much of the set. Although the Jays were able to eventually tie the set at 19, the Diplomats emerged triumphant 25-22 in what was their best — and Hopkins’ worst — performance of the match.
With the match tied at one set apiece, the Jays got off to a slow start falling behind 3-8 to start the third set. Yet, Hopkins was not deterred and came roaring back to tighten the set at 6-8, and then later tie it at 10 apiece. For a while, neither team was able to break through until Hopkins finally took a 19-16 lead. Although F&M took a time out, it was not enough to stop the Jays who were eventually able to pull off a 25-21 victory thanks in part to junior Anne Cohen serving three straight points. In the fourth set, Cohen’s six kills propelled the team to a 20-10 lead. Although F&M was able to tighten the set, Hopkins emerged victorious 25-16 to take the match 3-1, thus knocking the top seeded Diplomats out of the tournament.
“Our mentality towards the game helped us succeed,” sophomore setter Carolyn Zin said. “We played our game, stayed calm and composed, executing well and not letting their style of play dictate how we played. We relied on our training from all season to drive us through the match.” Junior setter Mariel Metalios voiced similar sentiments. "This weekend, we really just focused on being our best selves,” she said. “We just enjoyed the good competition and played with a ton of heart.”
On Sunday against the Muhlenberg Mules, Hopkins got off to a very fast beginning, racing out to an 11-3 start. Sophomore Stephanie Yokoyama played a large factor during the surge, serving for five straight points for the Lady Jays. The team would handily defeat the Mules 25-11 in the first set to jump to a 1-0 lead. The Mules, however, evened the playing field by taking the second set 25-21. Muhlenberg led for the majority of the set, and although at one point the Jays pulled within one, they were unable to pull ahead and dropped the second set, tying the match at one set apiece.
In the third set, the Jays rallied to erase a lead that was at one point 9-4. Neither team was able to jump ahead until the Jays went on a 5-2 run with the set tied at 19 to bring the game to set point. Although the Mules were able to pull within two, a kill by Donohoe ended the set and gave Hopkins the 2-1 lead. The fourth set was a blowout as the Jays went on 9-2 and 10-2 runs, winning the set 25-10 and thus winning the match 3-1, and bringing home the tournament championship. For her 50 kill, 17 dig and seven block assist effort in the tournament, Donohoe was named the Tournament MVP.
The Jays will face the #17 ranked Eastern University Eagles on Friday, Nov. 15 in Huntingdon, Pa. The team is 1-6 all-time against the Eagles, with the two last clashing in 2009. Despite the team’s lackluster record in the past, players are optimistic about the upcoming tournament. “We're really trying to bring the more of that same energy and focus we had throughout the conference tournament, and we're definitely looking forward to some more great competition,” Metalios said.
Zin voiced similar sentiments. “We plan to approach the NCAA (playoffs) with confidence in our style of play. We treat each match the same, always bringing high energy to the court. There are always aspects of the game that we can refine. We will continue to work in practice in order to foster our growth. As our coach emphasizes, games are won and lost in the practice gym,” Zin said.
The team and the student body all certainly hope that this optimism translates into success on the court in the NCAA Tournament.
