HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College volleyball team (9-3, 0-1 CC) opened Centennial Conference play in front of an energetic Homecoming crowd at Gooding '84 Arena on Saturday, falling to Franklin & Marshall (8-6, 1-0 CC) in straight sets. The Diplomats took the Senior Day matchup by scores of 25-16, 25-20 and 25-18.
Before the match, Haverford honored seniors Gia Frank, Dasha Igonin and Kira Chaney for their contributions to the program both on and off the court. The afternoon also represented a rematch of last season's Centennial Conference semifinal, when the Diplomats rallied after dropping the opening set to defeat the Fords in four frames at the Mayser Center.
Elizabeth Cella paced the Haverford attack with 13 kills and completed a double-double with 10 digs. Fiona Moord added seven kills on a .353 hitting percentage and contributed three blocks, while Chaney anchored the back row with a match-high 20 digs as she continues her pursuit of 1,000 career digs, now at 979.
Cella delivered three kills among Haverford's first four points as the Fords jumped out to a 4-2 advantage in the opening set. The teams remained within a point of one another through an 8-7 Haverford lead before F&M used three consecutive points to move in front, 10-8.
A Cella kill brought the Fords back within one, but the Diplomats began to create separation with a 6-2 stretch. Kills from Maggie Turner, Cella and Frank kept Haverford within striking distance, but F&M closed the stanza behind an efficient attack to claim the 25-16 decision.
The Fords produced their best sustained push of the match in the second set. After F&M scored the first three points, Haverford responded with a 7-1 run to surge ahead. Frank supplied two kills during the stretch before Chaney sparked the Gooding crowd with a kill and a service ace. Moord also contributed a kill, while she and Marlee Hills combined for a block that tied the set at 4-4.
F&M battled back to even the score at 8-8, but a Frank service ace and a Moord kill helped the Fords reclaim an 11-8 advantage. Haverford maintained the lead through the middle portion of the frame, with consecutive Cella kills putting the Scarlet and Black ahead, 16-14.
The Diplomats answered with three straight points to take a 17-16 edge. Cella immediately brought Haverford level with another kill, but F&M countered with a 3-0 run to establish a 20-17 advantage. Hills later delivered a kill to trim the deficit to 23-20 before the visitors collected the final two points for a 25-20 victory.
The third set featured six ties as the teams traded points throughout the opening stages. Moord delivered three early kills, while Turner added a pair as the Fords pulled even at 7-7. The score remained tied at 8-8 before the Diplomats used a four-point run to take control.
Cella stopped the surge with a kill to bring Haverford within 12-9, and the sophomore later added another to make it 13-10. F&M responded with three straight points and eventually stretched its advantage to 21-15.
Moord continued to provide an option in the middle, finishing with five kills in the third set alone, while Cella contributed four in the frame. Cella struck twice more down the stretch, but the Diplomats held off the Fords to complete the sweep with a 25-18 decision.
In addition to Chaney's 20-dig performance, the senior added three assists, one kill and a service ace. Frank finished with five kills, four digs and an ace, while Igonin distributed 12 assists and collected five digs. Anna Krotky Koeppe handed out a team-high 13 assists, and Hills and Turner each chipped in four kills.
Franklin & Marshall finished the afternoon with 51 kills and a .359 hitting percentage, while Haverford recorded 35 kills and hit .175.
The Fords remain at Gooding '84 Arena on Wednesday, October 7, welcoming Muhlenberg for a 7 p.m. Centennial Conference matchup before heading on the road for just the third time this season on October 10 against McDaniel.Â
