The Johns Hopkins University volleyball team, which saw its season end in the NCAA Division III quarterfinals in each of the past two seasons, refused to be denied for a third time in a quarterfinal matchup Wednesday afternoon in Salem, Virginia.
The Blue Jays were pushed to a fifth set for the first time this season by Wisconsin-Oshkosh but pulled out a dramatic win, prevailing to 25-21, 23-25, 25-21, 25-19, 15-11 to advance to the NCAA semifinals for the second time in program history. Hopkins (33-2) will face Wisconsin-Whitewater on Thursday at 5 p.m. with a spot in the national championship game on the line. The match will air live on ESPN+.
Grad student Jilienne Widener paced the Blue Jays with a career-best 20 kills, while senior Simrin Carlsen (18), junior Simone Adam (15) and sophomore Ivy Swafford (12) also reached double figures. Freshman Michelle Tuszynski (40) and Carlsen (32) collected 72 of Hopkins' 90 digs, and graduate student Kate Dahaner (37) and junior Helena Swaak (33) combined for 70 assists.
The Blue Jays only previous trip to the DIII semifinals came in 2019 en route to an NCAA championship and a perfect 35-0 record.
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Tagged volleyball