Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Volleyball | Johnson Reaches 1,000 Kills, Digs

FILE PHOTO: MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA Senior outside hitter Alex Johnson has 16 kills and 15 digs in Georgetown’s 3-1 loss to St. John’s last Sunday at McDonough Arena.
FILE PHOTO: MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA
Senior outside hitter Alex Johnson has 16 kills and 15 digs in Georgetown’s 3-1 loss to St. John’s last Sunday at McDonough Arena.

The Georgetown University volleyball team (8-14, 2-7 Big East) suffered a difficult 3-1 setback to St. John’s University (15-9, 4-5 Big East) last Sunday, Oct. 19, in McDonough Arena. However, one of the Hoyas reached a major milestone in the loss, as senior outside hitter Alex Johnson recorded her 1,000th career dig to become one of the few players in Georgetown volleyball’s history to record both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs.

The statistic “kill” represents an attacking shot that is not returned, and immediately results in a point for the attacking player’s team. A “dig” is a successful return of an attacking shot. Because kills are an offensive statistic and digs are a defensive statistic, it takes a very unique player to be able to record significant totals in both categories.

Johnson is an extremely versatile player who is comfortable in both the front and back row, and her all-around abilities have allowed her to have a very successful and impactful career, as reflected by this milestone.

“The position I play requires that [I] play all around the court. I’m lucky to be a versatile player, and I don’t like coming off the floor, so playing both front and back row has been great for me,” Johnson said.

While her four years at Georgetown have been filled with individual success, her career has not been without its struggles. In the beginning of her senior season, Johnson was a part-time player, primarily playing in the back row rather than in her usual all-around role. As a result, she only recorded 21 kills in the team’s first 11 games. However, Johnson has earned her way back into the Hoyas’ full-time starting lineup, and has registered 149 kills in her last 11 games.

“As the season evolved, Alex worked really hard to get back on the court, and we’ve been able to juggle some things so that she can be on the court,” Head Coach Arlisa Williams said.

Throughout her career, Johnson has shown great improvement in a number of areas. She acknowledges that when she entered the school as a freshman, she was stubborn and not as mature as she is now. This led to a rocky beginning to her relationship with Williams.

“Alex and I had a good relationship during the recruitment process, but then once she entered the program and expectations were raised, it caused some conflict. Alex and I just had to learn to work through the conflict,” Williams said.

After the two got past their initial disagreements, player and coach have formed a strong partnership.

“Now, we have a good relationship. I can talk to her about anything. I take what she says to heart, and I know that she’s looking out for me,” Johnson said.

Although Johnson has already collected a number of impressive achievements during her four years as a Hoya, she still has a number of aspirations and goals to reach before she completes her senior season.

Her ultimate goal is to lead her team to the Big East tournament, and she is willing to do whatever it takes to reach that goal. Only the top four teams from the regular-season standings of the 10-team league will reach the tournament, which will be held at Marquette University in Milwaukee. The Hoyas are four games behind fourth-place Butler with nine conference games remaining.

“I want to have no regrets, and I want to know that I did everything I could to help us get to the Big East tournament,” Johnson said.

Johnson will leave Georgetown as an integral member of an impressive senior class that includes senior libero Mackenzie Simpson and senior middle blocker Dani White. She is quick to credit her teammates for helping her reach these individual milestones.

“I couldn’t have done it without my teammates, especially the seniors who have been there with me for four years. Dani [White] also has 1,000 kills, and Mac [Simpson] has 1,000 digs, so it’s really special that we have all reached these milestones together,” Johnson said.

Williams credits Johnson for not only being a great player, but also a great teammate. True to form, Johnson’s focus is firmly on helping lead the Hoyas to important team goals as she closes out her senior season. Whether or not the team succeeds in their uphill climb to reach November’s Big East tournament, there is no doubt that Johnson has already left her mark on the Hilltop.

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