Oct. 7, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
A LOOK BACK
Johns Hopkins had a tough week last week, going 1-3 with a pair of matches against ranked opponents. JHU hosted Dickinson on Tuesday, then traveled to Haverford to take on the Fords and Eastern in a double header. The Blue Jays wrapped up with a match at Washington College last night (Tuesday).
Last Tuesday, Dickinson rallied from a two-games-to-none deficit for a 3-2 win over host Johns Hopkins. The Devils led 10-6 in the deciding game before holding off a late rally by the Blue Jays and secured the deciding game, 15-13, on a kill by Elitsa Gosheva. Alex Zenoff posted a team-high 11 kills for the Blue Jays, who also got seven kills and 14 digs from Allison Cappelaere. Becky Paynter dished out 35 assists and added 13 digs and four kills.
Hopkins had then dropped a pair of 3-0 decisions to 22nd-ranked Haverford and 23rd-ranked Eastern on Saturday. The Fords prevailed in three, winning 25-16, 25-22, 25-12. Paynter led the Blue Jays with her sixth double-double of the season, finishing with 22 assists and 14 digs. While Katie Buckheit had nine digs for Hopkins.
In the second match against Eastern, the Blue Jays couldn’t control the Eagles’ hitting game and fell 25-20, 25-23 and 25-16. Hopkins was led by Brittany Zimmer and Carolyn Mickelson, who combined for 13 kills. The Blue Jays got a team-high 14 digs from Alexander and 12 assists from Paynter.
Hopkins got back in the win column last night, snapping a three-match losing streak with a 3-0 win over Washington College. JHU got 11 kills and 12 digs from Cappelaere and the Blue Jays had their fourth-best hitting effort of the season to fuel a 25-11, 25-16, 25-22 win over the Shorewomen. In addition to Cappelaere’s double-double, the Blue Jays got 10 kills from Zenoff and 31 assists and seven digs from Paynter.
THIS WEEK’S ACTION
Johns Hopkins travels to Swarthmore on Thursday and then hosts Gettysburg on Saturday in the Blue Jays “Dig for a Cure” match.
The Blue Jays are 18-4 all-time against the Garnet and have won the last 15 meetings. Swarthmore is off to a hot start and enters Thursday’s match with a 13-5 record, including 3-0 in the conference. Swarthmore’s 13 overall wins and three Centennial wins equal the most the program has had since 2006. The Garnet have won three straight and five of their last six outings. Swarthmore is led by sophomore Genny Pezzola, the reigning Centennial Conference Player of the Week.
Gettysburg has dominated the series with Hopkins, winning 27 of the 33 meetings. Though the Blue Jays have won three straight in the series. The Bullets come into Saturday’s match with a 12-7 record, including a 2-2 mark in the Centennial. Gettysburg, picked to finish second in the conference, currently sits in a tie for fifth place.
DIG FOR A CURE
During the month of October, the 11 volleyball teams in the Centennial Conference are joining together for the conference’s fourth annual “Digging for a Cure” campaign.
Prior to its designated “Digging for a Cure” match, each Conference school collected donations and pledges from friends, families, and team supporters for each dig the team recorded in selected match.
Over the last three years, the 11 teams have raised over $26,000 in donations and pledges. Last year the money raised ($12,486) was donated to Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC), a non-profit organization based in Haverford, PA, dedicated to empowering all women affected by breast cancer to live as long as possible with the best quality of life.
For the 2009 campaign, the money raised by each team will go directly to LBBC. The donations will be collected by the end of October and the total amount raised by the eleven schools will be announced at the Centennial Volleyball Championships on November 7 and 8, 2009.
A HELPING HAND
Freshman Becky Paynter has been racking up the assists this year and leads the Blue Jays with 448 helpers. Through October 3, she ranked eighth in the Centennial Conference in assists per game (6.52). Paynter has posted double-digit assist totals in 17 of the Blue Jays 18 matches. And in nine of those 17, she has had 25 or more assists.
200 AND COUNTING
The Blue Jays 3-0 win over visiting Stevenson on Wednesday was the 200th career win for head coach Greg Giovanazzi.
CLIMBING THE RANKS
Senior Allison Cappelaere has 970 career digs entering this week’s action, ranking her 10th in program history. She is just 30 shy of becoming only the ninth player in program history with over 1,000 digs.
Senior Alex Zenoff has 183 career blocks entering this week, ranking her 11th in JHU history.
SEEING DOUBLE
Freshman Becky Paynter has posted seven double-doubles (assists-digs) on the season, while senior Allison Cappelaere is right behind her with four double-doubles (kills-digs). Cappelaere now has 22 career double-doubles.
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS
The Blue Jays captured their second straight JHU Invitational title, under head coach Greg Giovanazzi. Hopkins defeated DeSales in its season opener, 3-0. The Blue Jays then beat Goucher (3-1) and Edgewood (3-1) the second day of the tournament, in route to capturing their third consecutive tournament championship. Senior Allison Cappelaere was named tournament MVP and Alex Zenoff made the all-tournament team.
AT THE HELM
Greg Giovanazzi enters his second year at the helm of the women’s volleyball program at Johns Hopkins and brings a wealth of experience to the progam. He has been involved in volleyball for over 30 years as both an athlete and coach at the international, collegiate and professional levels.
Giovanazzi is now 32-14 (.696) in his one-plus season with the Blue Jays.
Under Giovanazzi’s leadership, the Blue Jays went 20-7 (8-2 CC) in his first season, reaching the Centennial Conference semifinals. Amanda Lewis also broke the Centennial Conference record for assists during his first season at Johns Hopkins. The Blue Jays placed three players on the All-Centennial Team last season and three players also earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors.
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
The Blue Jays will be led by captains Allison Cappelaere, Alex Zenoff and junior Alica Diehl this season.
CENTENNIAL PRESEASON PICKS
JHU was picked to finish third in the Centennial Conference preseason vote of the conference’s head coaches. The Blue Jays are searching for their first Centennial Conference title in program history. Hopkins is lookin to improve upon 20-7 record in 2008, which concluded with a loss in the conference semifinals to eventual champion Haverford.
