HAVERFORD, Pa. — The Haverford College volleyball team (13-8, 4-3 CC) was upended in both contests in a home tri-match inside Gooding Arena on Saturday afternoon, falling to Dickinson in a five-set thriller before Kean came away with a sweep in the late afternoon contest.
Dickinson 3, Haverford 2
Dickinson edged Haverford in a five-set battle, taking the match by scores of 13-25, 25-15, 25-19, 20-25, and 15-12.
Haverford seized early momentum in the opening frame. Izabela Potocnjak's kill, assisted by Cameryn DeBlecourt, tied the score at 3-3 before the Fords surged ahead behind a service ace from Dasha Igonin. Fiona Moord and Elizabeth Cella powered the attack as Haverford capitalized on multiple Dickinson errors to cruise to a 25-13 win.
The Red Devils responded with a hot-hitting second set, recording a .350 clip to even the match. Despite a service ace from Eliana Brown, Dickinson controlled the frame throughout, using a 5-0 run to build a commanding 23-14 lead before Mallie Thomas finished it off with consecutive kills for a 25-15 result.
Haverford opened the third with a 3-0 run sparked by Olivia DeVille's ace and kills from DeBlecourt and Cella. DeBlecourt, who finished with a career-high six kills from the setter position, helped the Fords stay within striking distance, but Dickinson took advantage of a series of attack errors to swing momentum and close the set, 25-19.
Cella continued to lead the way in the fourth, tallying a service ace and several key kills to help the Fords grab a 12-9 edge. Norah Oppenheim and Gia Frank kept Dickinson at bay, with Frank's kill at 22-19 prompting a Red Devil timeout. Haverford closed the set with kills from Cella, Moord, and Frank to win 25-20 and force a deciding frame.
The Fords carried that energy into the fifth, taking a 6-2 lead behind Cella's kills and a Kayla Chu ace. Dickinson fought back to tie the score at 8-8, and after Haverford briefly pulled ahead 11-8, the Red Devils rallied again. A late 4-0 run sealed the comeback as Dickinson stunned the hosts in Centennial Conference play.
Cella led Haverford with 20 kills on 54 attempts, adding 16 digs in a standout effort. DeBlecourt recorded 23 assists and hit .625 with six kills on eight swings. Kira Chaney tallied 19 digs, while Frank chipped in eight kills on 19 attempts for a .368 percentage.
Thomas paced Dickinson with 17 points, posting 16 kills and 11 digs. Camille Dofiles added 27 assists and five digs, and Avery Butcher anchored the defense with 31 digs.
Kean 3, Haverford 0
Haverford fell to Kean (22-5) in straight sets in the late match, as the visiting Cougars edged the Fords by scores of 25-22, 27-25, and 25-15. Despite a .318 hitting percentage in the opening set and several strong individual performances, Haverford was unable to overcome Kean's consistency down the stretch.
The Fords opened the first set with renewed energy, as Cella's kill from a DeBlecourt assist and an early service ace by Eliana Brown helped build initial momentum. Haverford continued to trade points with the Cougars, with key contributions from Gia Frank and Maggie Turner keeping the Fords within striking distance late in the set. However, a late Kean run proved decisive, as the Cougars pulled away to take the opener, 25-22.
Haverford carried that early fight into the second frame, racing out to a 6-0 lead behind service aces from Kira Chaney and kills by Cella and Charlotte Dziki, prompting an early Kean timeout. The Fords maintained their edge through the first half of the set, extending the advantage to 12-4 following more offensive pressure from Cella and well-placed sets by Dasha Igonin.
Kean mounted a strong comeback midway through the set, eventually overtaking Haverford, 14-13, before the Fords responded to reclaim an 18-16 lead on back-to-back service aces from Brown. The set featured several tense exchanges as the score reached 24-24, but despite strong plays from Dziki and Moord in the final points, the Cougars narrowly prevailed in extra points, 27-25.
In the third, Haverford once again struck early with kills from Cella and Potocnjak, along with a service ace from DeBlecourt. Yet Kean capitalized on a series of Fords attack errors to create separation. While Haverford showed late resilience with crucial kills from Potocnjak and Turner, the Cougars maintained control to close out the set, 25-15, and complete the road sweep.
Cella led all players with 15 kills on 39 attempts, totaling 15 points for the match. DeBlecourt and Igonin combined for 35 assists, efficiently guiding the Ford offense, while Brown notched three service aces and 12 digs to round out a strong all-around performance.
Kean was led by the prowess of standout middle Cayley Elena Morrison, who recorded seven total blocks and added nine kills, anchoring the Cougars at the net. Ashley Torok contributed 13 kills and 13 digs, while Victoria Latino chipped in six kills, two aces, and two service aces. Aspen O'Brien chipped in with 29 assists. Annabelle Valencia paced the defense with 15 digs.
Haverford now returns to action on Wednesday, October 29, traveling to Bryn Mawr face the Owls in another Centennial Conference matchup. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
