The Middlebury volleyball team battled #9 Johns Hopkins in four tightly-contested sets on Friday before falling 3-1 during NCAA Tournament second-round action.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The Blue Jays jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the opening set on a kill by Simrin Carlsen.
• Middlebury slowly chipped away at the deficit, tying the frame at 10-10 following a kill from Ava Tuccio.
• The teams traded small leads over the ensuing points before a kill from Pamela Chiakpo gave Johns Hopkins a 24-21 edge.
• Trailing 24-21, kills by Katie Kraczkowsky and Tuccio sandwiched around a Blue Jay hitting error leveled the set at 24-24, but the hosts tallied the final two points to grab the 1-0 edge.
• The second stanza saw both sides possess small advantages early on before a kill from Carlsen gave the hosts a three-point (16-13) edge.
• Middlebury put together a quick 6-0 spurt, securing a 19-16 lead on an attack error by the Blue Jays.
• Johns Hopkins pulled to within one (21-20) on a kill from Carlsen, but the Panthers tallied four of the final five points of the frame, capped by a set-clinching kill down the middle from Molly Harrison to knot the contest at a set apiece. 
• The Blue Jays tallied the initial four points of the third stanza, before the Panthers climbed back to within one (9-8) on a kill from Lauren Baxter. 
• Johns Hopkins maintained the lead throughout a majority of the set before Middlebury tied the frame at 19-19 on a Blue Jay attack error.
• The hosts rattled off the next six points, capped by a cross-court kill from Carlsen for a 2-1 lead.
• Middlebury quickly jumped out to a 9-6 edge in the fourth set on a kill from Gabbie O'Toole.
• Johns Hopkins won 10 of the next 15 rallies, grabbing a 16-14 advantage on a service ace by Grace Reininga.
• Middlebury cut it to one (16-15) on a service error, but the Blue Jays posted a 6-1 run and eased to the 25-21 victory. 

NOTES

• Tuccio tied her career high with 13 kills to go along with three block assists.
• O'Toole posted her seventh 40-assist match of the season, finishing with 42 helpers to go along with seven digs.
• Harrison ended the contest with 10 kills and 17 digs, giving the Panther 11 double-doubles this fall.
• The meeting was the first between the two programs in the sport of volleyball.

Middlebury concluded its season with a 16-9 record against a strong schedule and made the program's seventh appearance in the NCAA Tournament.