BALTIMORE, Md. - The Birmingham-Southern volleyball team may have lost in straight sets, but they proved they can compete with some of the top competition in the country. The Panthers were in each match, before #2 Johns Hopkins were able to pull away at the end.
The first set was all Blue Jays, after trading the first two points JHU went on a five-point run to take an early 6-1 lead. The rest of the match the Panthers and Blue Jays went kill for kill. The Panthers would get as close as four points but the Blue Jays were too tough and pulled away with a 25-19 win in set one.
Set two was much of the same with both teams trading kills. BSC held the early edge with a 4-3 lead before Johns Hopkins went on a four-point run to make it 7-4 in their favor. The match would again see both teams trading points. Late in the set JHU went on another run, this time for five-points extending their lead 19-11. The Panthers responded with a run of their own, rattling off four-straight points to make it 19-15. Again, the Blue Jays would pull away and wen the second set 25-19.
In the third set the Panthers again got out to an early lead, holding a 6-5 advantage. The Blue Jays then took seven of the next nine points to regain the lead 12-8. The Panthers battled back to make it a 12-11 game, and ultimately tied it up later in the set at 16-16. JHU went on a three-point run to grab the advantage, and after trading points, BSC went on a three-point run as well to tie the set 21-21. The Blue Jays won four of the next five points in win the set 25-22.
The Panthers may have lost in straight sets but they competed very well with the #2 ranked team in the country.
Records
Birmingham-Southern 4-3 Overall (0-0 SAA), Johns Hopkins 4-0 Overall (0-0 Centennial)
Set Summary
Set One: 25-19 Johns Hopkins
Set Two: 25-19 Johns Hopkins
Set Three: 25-22 John Hopkins
News and notes
> This was the second meeting all-time between the two schools, each have won one contest.
>
Kennedy Dickens has recorded 9+ kills in six of BSC's seven matches.
> This is the second nationally ranked team the Panthers have played this season.
Up next
The Panthers will have a quick turn around as they will play Virginia Wesleyan tomorrow at 9 a.m. in their second game of the Memorial Tournament.
