After dropping the first set 27-25, the Hopkins women’s volleyball team rallied for three straight sets to defeat the Haverford Fords.
The Lady Jays came into the game with a Centennial Conference record of 4-2 and 13-10 overall. Haverford had the upper hand with a Centennial Conference record of 6-1 and an overall record of 16-8.
The Lady Jays got off to an early start, leading for most of the set, even gaining a 19-12 advantage. The Fords did not allow this lead to hold as they upped their offensive game, thinning the gap in the points. The Lady Jays began making unforced hitting errors, allowing the Fords to come to a tie at 22 points. The two teams traded points following the tie. Hopkins freshman Liz Wuerstle had a kill tying the set at 25, followed by a Hopkins hitting error and a block by the Fords’ Kaylynn Mayo and Meagan MacPhee, ending the set at 27-25.
Hopkins rallied in the second set, knowing they would have to win it in order to keep home court advantage. Each team scored points right after the other, keeping the game tight. Haverford began to pull away with the lead after a 5-0 run against the Jays, bringing the score to 15-10. Hopkins went on a 9-0 run in response, led by four Wuerstle kills. The Fords kept with Jays, not giving up, keeping the score tight up to the very end of the set. After two hitting errors and a ball handling error, Hopkins ended up with a 25-21 win in the set.
The Lady Jays stayed strong, getting a 10-5 lead on the Fords early on in the set. Freshman Erica Johnston came out with some big kills, and Wuerstle added some hard blocks, allowing Hopkins to reach 19-13. They faltered slightly with some miscues on the court, however Haverford made some unforced errors, helping the Lady Jays secure a 25-20 win in the set.
The fourth set looked as if it was going to be a quick one as Wuerstle came out hammering home four kills in the Lady Jays’ first seven points, giving Hopkins a 7-2 lead. Hopkins would commit some unforced hitting errors allowing the Fords to come back with a score of 9-8, but the Lady Jays got back on track. Kills from freshman Kristi Rhead and sophomore Ally Hirsch, along with some hitting errors from the Fords, helped the Blue Jays grabbed a commanding 17-13 lead. After a Hirsch error and four straight kills from the Fords, Haverford was able to catch back up, taking a 19-18 lead. With an unforced hitting error from the Fords, Johnston took the game into her hands. Slamming home four kills, Johnston helped secure a 6-0 run, winning the set and the game for the Blue Jays.
With her impeccable performance in the game, Johnston was awarded the Centennial Conference Volleyball Player of the Week. She powered the offense finishing second on the team with 13 kills while hitting .355 for the match. Defensively, the freshman made her presence felt with two block assists along with 11 digs. In the final set, Johnston hammered home four of the team’s last six points en route to a deciding 25-19 victory. This is the first time Johnston has been awarded conference player of the week in her career.
With the victory over Haverford secured, the Lady Jays will continue to face formidible conference opponents in the upcoming weeks, including a tough matchup against Bryn Mawr, followed by another away match at McDaniel. The team’s current standing in the conference is 5-2, but their upcoming matches will utlimately decide whether or not the Lady Jays will be competing for the Centennial Conference Championship.
After two straight away games, the team will return to Goldfarb Gym to square off against Gettysburg in their final game of the season. The rivalry matchup will play a crucial role in the Lady Jay’s playoff standings, as the Bullets hold a 4-2 conference record and boast an overall record of 17-8.
As the Lady Jays enter the final weeks of the season, playoff hopes will be on the line against competitive conference opponents.
