HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College women's volleyball team (5-2) split the final day of the Ford Invite on Saturday afternoon inside Gooding '84 Arena, shaking off a morning loss to Lynchburg to outlast Scranton in yet another five-set thriller in front of the home crowd.
 
Lynchburg 3, Haverford 0

 Haverford put up a spirited fight in the morning match Saturday but could not slow down then-undefeated Lynchburg, falling 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-21) inside Gooding '84 Arena.
 
The Fords came out swinging in the opener, with setter Cameryn DeBlecourt directing the offense and outside hitter Izabela Potocnjak landing an early kill that gave Haverford a 3-1 edge. Lynchburg countered with timely blocks to build a cushion, but the Fords clawed back to tie the set at 17-17 behind a service ace from Eliana Brown and a kill by Elizabeth Cella.
 
Despite the late push, errors proved costly as the Hornets closed the frame. Set two followed a similar pattern: Haverford stayed close early, with Cella and Potocnjak providing steady swings and Dasha Igonin adding a service ace. Lynchburg capitalized on Ford miscues to create separation after the midway point, pulling away 25-17.
 
In the third, Haverford showed its resilience again. Cella fueled a 6-0 run with two aces and a kill to even the score at 8-8, while Brown added another ace to keep the Fords level midway through the set. The Hornets, however, steadied in crunch time to close it 25-21.
 
Cella finished with a team-high 11 kills and three aces. DeBlecourt had nine assists and seven digs, while Igonin added seven assists and a team-best eight digs. Kayla Chu was efficient off the bench, recording a kill while handing out four assists.
 
Haverford 3, Scranton 2
 
The second match of the afternoon was one of the most dramatic of the young season, as the Fords outlasted Scranton (2-4) in a five-set thriller, 20-25, 25-20, 26-24, 22-25, 22-20. The marathon contest lasted more than two and a half hours, marking Haverford's longest match of the year, and ended with senior outside hitter Brown securing Ford Invite Tournament MVP honors.
 
Haverford's offense found its rhythm through the reliable setting of DeBlecourt, who tallied a career-high 30 assists, and the all-around brilliance of Brown and fellow outside first-year Elizabeth Cella, both of whom set career marks in kills. Brown finished with 20 kills and 19 digs, while Cella posted 21 kills and 17 digs, adding four aces to cap an All-Tournament worthy performance for the second consecutive weekend.
 
Scranton, however, made Haverford fight for every rally in the back-and-forth affair. The Royals took the opening set, exploiting early Ford errors and sealing it on a Danielle Kramer ace. Kramer was a steady presence throughout, finishing with nine kills and five blocks.
 
The Fords answered in the second. Maggie Turner's kill set the tone before Cella caught fire at the service line, delivering three consecutive aces during a 19-15 run. Brown and Turner then supplied the final swings to even the match.
 
Momentum seemed to tilt Haverford's way in the third. A DeBlecourt ace and balanced attacking from Turner and Brown had the Fords in control, but Scranton clawed back to 21-21. Out of a timeout, Haverford's block, anchored by Cella and middle Fiona Moord, turned the tide. A Scranton service error and a clutch ace from defensive specialist Chu closed it out, 26-24.
 
The Royals, showing resilience, opened the fourth on a 3-0 burst and never let Haverford get comfortable. Setter Cammi Quirk, who distributed a whopping 51 assists to go with 12 digs, orchestrated Scranton's offense with precision. Late kills from Deanna Whelpley, who led the Royals with 18, helped force a decisive fifth.
 
If the first four frames were about momentum, the finale was about composure. DeBlecourt's back-to-back aces fueled a 6-0 start, but Scranton chipped away until the teams were locked in a tense exchange well past the 15-point mark. With the match tied at 20-20, Brown hammered home her career-record 20th kill to put Haverford in front before sealing it 22-20.
 
Defensively, rookie libero Sierra Lever anchored the floor with 25 digs, and Chu later added a service ace in a crucial fourth-set rally. Dasha Igonin also delivered a career high in assists (27) underscoring the total team effort.
 
For Scranton, libero Isabella Hoffman collected 28 digs, while Quirk's strong turn at setter kept the Royals' attack dangerous until the final rally.
 
With the win, Haverford not only improved to 5-2 but also left with its key contributors recognized: Brown as Tournament MVP and Cella as All-Tournament honoree.
 
The Fords now turn their attention to another home match against Widener on Wednesday, Sept. 10, with first serve scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
Ford Invitational All-Tournament Team
Katie Hardie, Lynchburg
Ava Meinhardt, Lynchburg
Olivia Nealy, Springfield
Danielle Kramer, Scranton
Elizabeth Cella, Haverford
Eliana Brown, Haverford
 
Ford Invitational Tournament MVP
Eliana Brown, Haverford