WESTMINSTER, Md. – The Haverford College volleyball team (11-3, 2-1 CC) received strong performances from seniors Gia Frank and Dasha Igonin on Saturday afternoon, sweeping McDaniel (8-6, 1-2 CC) by set scores of 25-22, 25-16 and 25-20 inside the Gill Center.
Frank delivered 12 kills on .400 hitting, committing just two errors on 25 swings while adding three blocks, three digs and a service ace. Igonin directed the offense with a match-best 21 assists, contributing nine digs and an ace as the Fords secured their second consecutive Centennial Conference sweep.
Elizabeth Cella paced Haverford with 13 kills and 10 digs for a double-double, while Marlee Hills added eight kills. Fiona Moord chipped in seven kills on .385 hitting, and Anna Krotky Koeppe distributed 13 assists. Haverford hit .291 for the match, recording 46 kills while limiting the Green Terror to 29 kills and a .135 hitting percentage.
Senior libero Kira Chaney continued her pursuit of the 1,000-dig milestone, collecting six digs to bring her career total to 997. Chaney now sits just three digs shy of the mark heading into Wednesday's trip to Ursinus. Heejin Kim added nine digs to help anchor the back row.
The opening set required a late rally from the visitors, who trailed 16-11 before beginning to chip away. Frank supplied a kill and a solo block during a three-point stretch, keeping the Fords within striking distance. McDaniel still held a 20-16 advantage, but Haverford answered with three straight points, including a Krotky Koeppe kill and an Olivia DeVille service ace.
With the Green Terror ahead 21-19, Haverford used a McDaniel service error, an attack error and a Cella kill off an Igonin assist to move in front. After McDaniel pulled even at 22-22, Maggie Turner put away a kill, Cella served an ace and Hills finished the comeback with a kill off another Igonin assist for the 25-22 victory.
The Fords took control midway through the second set, breaking a 10-10 tie with four unanswered points. Frank contributed an ace and an assist during that stretch, helping Haverford establish a lead it would maintain the rest of the way. Leading 19-16, the Fords closed the frame with six consecutive points on Chaney's serve. Frank supplied three kills during the finishing run, while Hills added two and Chaney delivered an ace to secure the 25-16 win.
In the third, consecutive Frank kills helped spark a four-point run that turned an 8-7 deficit into an 11-8 advantage. McDaniel later trimmed the margin to 17-16, but the Fords maintained their edge before pulling away behind Igonin's serve. A five-point stretch featured two Cella kills, a Cella solo block and an Igonin ace, giving Haverford match point at 24-18. A McDaniel service error eventually completed the sweep, 25-20.
Christiana Alapa and Hayden Haynes each registered seven kills for McDaniel, while Cassy Poteet handed out 16 assists to anchor the Green Terror.
Volleyball continues Centennial Conference play Wednesday, Oct. 14, with a trip to Ursinus. First serve is slated for 7:30 p.m in Collegeville.
