HAVERFORD, Pa. - Haverford College first-year outside hitter Elizabeth Cella has been named to the AVCA Division III All-Region 5 first team, the organization announced in a release on Wednesday morning. Cella was one of just two rookies to be honored on the All-Region 5 squad, joining Elizabeth Cleveland of Juniata.
Cella adds the regional honors to yesterday's Centennial Conference postseason awards release in which she was named All-Centennial Conference first team as well as the CC's Rookie of the Year.
The Atlanta, Georgia product turned in one of the Centennial Conference's most productive first-year campaigns in recent memory, ranking second in the league in total points (414), third in points per set (3.94), second in total kills (361), and fifth in kills per set (3.44).
A consistent presence for the Fords, Cella delivered double-digit kills in 21 matches. She posted a season-high 21 kills on two occasions — first in a five-set win over Scranton on Sept. 6, then again during a five-set postseason victory against Dickinson on Nov. 12, when she also tallied a season-best 25.5 points in the Centennial Conference tournament triumph. Cella showcased standout efficiency during the heart of league play, hitting .406 with 14 kills against Franklin & Marshall on Oct. 4, adding 18 kills against Muhlenberg on Oct. 8, and producing 35 combined kills in a tri-match with Dickinson and Kean on Oct. 25. Defensively, she was a dependable two-way contributor, finishing with 264 digs, an average of 2.51 per set, to cap a true all-around standout rookie season.
There are 14 All-Region team members and six honorable mention selections for each of the 10 regions. Additionally, a Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Coach of the Year were selected for each region. The 200 student-athletes who made All-Region represent 96 different schools overall.
Haverford wrapped up its season at 19-9, the program's highest win total since the 22-6 campaign of 2021. The Fords posted a 7-3 mark in conference play, highlighted by a signature Senior Day upset of No. 7 Johns Hopkins and a home sweep of rival Swarthmore. Haverford hosted the opening round of the Centennial tournament for the first time since 2019 and advanced to the conference semifinals for the first time since 2021.
