BALTIMORE, Md.– Eastern University Women's Volleyball dropped a three-set decision to the No. 5 hosts in their opening match at the Johns Hopkins Invitational. The Eagles (8-4) finished the match with 39 kills, two more than Hopkins, but the hosts scored 13 points on blocks and controlled much of the match with aggressive serving that led to 10 aces.

Hopkins (11-2) came into the match having not lost a match to a team with a loss all year. Their two setbacks came against top-ranked Juniata and an unbeaten squad from MIT. The Blue Jays went up 11-7 in the opening set and never let the Eagles back within three points the rest of the way. The Eastern defense held the hosts to only .176 hitting in the frame, but the big Hopkins block and aggressive serving limited Eastern to only 11-of-25 on sideout chances. Those numbers would hold for most of the evening, as the Eagles finished 33-of-74.

All five Eastern hitters had multiple kills in the first set, but Hopkins won 25-20.

The two teams were tied at 12-12 in the second set before the hosts pulled away to a 25-17 win. Hopkins hit .405 in the set and were successful on 12-of-18 sideout chances.

The Eagles jumped to an 11-2 lead in the third set, but the Eagles managed just one point on serve, a Grace Casagrande ace, the rest of the way. Hopkins took the lead at 19-18 and went on to win 25-20.

"We played well in spurts," Head Coach Mark Birtwistle said after the match. "Against a quality team like Hopkins, you have to keep a consistent attack and make big plays defensively. We are capable of it, we just didn't do it enough tonight."

Hannah Pringle finished with 10 kills, Casagrande had 16 digs, and Elle Jiron-Bujanda had 29 assists.

The Eagles will play Cortland at 10 am tomorrow and will wrap up their weekend in Baltimore against the University of Mary Washington at 3:00 pm. Cortland beat Mary Washington in the first game of the weekend.