Release courtesy of Johns Hopkins Athletic Communications
FREDERICKSBURG, VA – The Johns Hopkins volleyball team punched its ticket to the NCAA Division III version of championship weekend with a three-set sweep of top-seeded Mary Washington to win the second regional crown in program history Saturday evening. The Blue Jays completed their third consecutive sweep of the weekend to win the regional title; they won all three sets on Saturday by identical 25-20 scores.
The Blue Jays (24-7) led just 18-17 in set one before closing with a 7-2 spurt to grab the one-set lead. A Brooklyn Pater kill ignited the spree and the Blue Jays got points on a pair of Eagle errors and a Simrin Carlsen kill to push out to a 22-17 lead. Mary Washington pulled within 22-19 on a Sarah Moore kill and a service ace, but Pam Chiakpo and Alice Yu sandwiched kills around another point for the Eagles before an Annelisa O’Neal service ace polished off the set.
Set two featured eight ties and four lead changes before the Blue Jays gradually pulled away late to grab a two-set lead. After splitting the first 20 points evenly, the Blue Jays used another 7-2 run to grab control at 17-12 with three Simone Adam kills fueling the run for the Blue Jays. The Eagles (26-8) pulled within three at 21-18 after a Jordan Lyons kill, but Carlsen sealed the set win for Johns Hopkins with three late kills.
The Blue Jays never trailed in the third set and were tied just once (2-2). Up 7-6 early, the Blue Jays scored six of the next eight points to go up 13-8. A Carlsen kill started things and two Eagle attacking errors ended the run. The Blue Jays would lead 15-8 before the home-standing Eagles made one final push to pull within two at 18-16. It was a pair of Caitlyn Burch kills and a Breanna Campbell service ace that ignited the Eagle run, but the Blue Jays got back-to-back kills from Yu and Carlsen to push out to a 20-16 lead and the Eagles were never closer than four down the stretch before Adam sent the Blue Jays to championship weekend with her 12th kill of the night.
Carlsen was named the regional MVP and she polished off her effort this weekend with 10 kills and 15 digs. Adam and Yu tied for the team-lead with 12 kills and Swaak added 41 assists in the victory. In addition to Carlsen being named MVP, Swaak and Adam were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Chloe Crosen led Mary Washington with eight kills and Burch and Sarah Moore added six…
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