Number One Women's Volleyball Grounds #9 Blue Jays to Open the Year

BALTIMORE, Md.- The #1 Juniata women's volleyball team opened the year with a 3-1 (25-16, 25-13, 22-25, 25-18) win over #9 Johns Hopkins Friday evening at the Newton H. White Center.  

Lily Podolan totaled 14 kills (.440) with four digs and three block assists, while Kiona Sky Rousset-Hernandez amassed 22 digs, a career-high ten assists, and five aces. Olivia Foley tallied 37 assists, a career-high 23 digs, five kills, and a service ace. Mackenzie Coley added ten kills, an ace, a dig, a solo block, and three block assists. Kennedy Christy contributed nine kills, an assist, three aces, and four digs. 

Set one was tight in the early goings, with the Blue Jays pulling within two at 14-12 on an Eagle service error. A Blue Jay error, and kills from Courtney Williams, Audrey Muth, and Podolan pushed the edge to six. The teams traded points, with the Eagles leading by six at 21-15. Juniata took the final four points of the set, with an attack error ending set one, 25-16. 

Set two saw the Eagles continue their effective hitting as they hit .393 and held the Blue Jays to .074 as JC opened on a 7-2 sprint and never looked back. A Foley kill would eventually end set two, 25-13. 

The hosts used an 8-1 run early in set three to capture their lone set of the match. The Eagles didn't make it easy, as they eventually pulled even at 22, all following a Podolan kill and a block by Coley and Podolan. The Blue Jays took the final three points to end the set.  

Another 7-2 start from the Eagles in the fourth had different results than the one in set two as the Blue Jays fought back, hanging around late with a kill to pull within two at 20-18. Juniata shut the door, taking the final four points on kills from Muth and Podolan, a block by Williams and Podolan following a JHU timeout before Foley wrapped up the match with an ace.  

Juniata will do a double dip tomorrow, taking on Wittenberg at 11:00 a.m. and Beloit at 3:00.