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LANCASTER, Pa. — Riding the momentum of a dominant first-round performance, the Haverford College volleyball team heads to top-seeded Franklin & Marshall on Friday for a Centennial Conference semifinal matchup. The fourth-seeded Fords (17-7) and Diplomats (17-6) are set for a 7 p.m. first serve at Mayser Center, with a spot in Sunday's championship match on the line. Haverford advanced with a 3-0 sweep of fifth-seeded Dickinson on Wednesday, while F&M earned a semifinal bye after completing a perfect 10-0 Centennial Conference season. The winner will advance to Sunday's conference championship at 1 p.m.
A Look at the Fords
Haverford has built its offense around a balanced attack and a strong presence at the net. Through games played Nov. 11, the Fords average 13.35 kills and 12.31 assists per set, ranking 11th and 15th nationally, respectively. Haverford also leads the Centennial in blocks per set at 2.14 and ranks 30th nationally. Elizabeth Cella leads the conference with 4.92 kills per set and ranks third nationally. She has 423 kills on the season and averages 5.52 points per set. Anna Krotky Koeppe directs the offense with a conference-best 7.27 assists per set, while Fiona Moord leads the Centennial with 1.07 blocks per set. Moord was especially effective in Wednesday's first-round sweep, recording a career-high 11 blocks and 11 kills while hitting .526. Haverford finished with 16 team blocks and held Dickinson to a .000 hitting percentage.
Scouting Franklin & Marshall
The Diplomats enter Friday's semifinal as the top seed after going 10-0 in conference play. They closed the regular season with a five-set win over Swarthmore, rallying from a two-set deficit to earn a 25-18, 15-25, 13-25, 25-15, 15-13 victory and secure the No. 1 seed. F&M averages 12.36 kills per set and 11.41 assists per set. Its serving and back-row defense will be important factors, with the Diplomats averaging 2.52 service aces and 17.25 digs per set. Melissa Benkowitz leads the team with 255 kills and averages 2.97 kills per set, while Ceci Connolly averages a team-high 3.17 kills per set. Setter Carly Campbell distributes 6.27 assists per set.
The Regular-Season Meeting
F&M won the teams' Oct. 3 meeting at Gooding '84 Arena in straight sets, 25-16, 25-20 and 25-18. The Diplomats hit .359 as a team and finished with a 51-35 edge in kills. Connolly led F&M with 14 kills, while Cella paced Haverford with 13. The Fords will look to build on Wednesday's net-front performance against an F&M team that has won 10 consecutive conference matches. Haverford's blocking and transition offense will be tested against the Diplomats' serving and back-row defense.
Fan Information
Friday's match will be played at Mayser Center on the Franklin & Marshall campus in Lancaster, Pa. The match will stream on the Centennial Conference Digital Network, with live statistics available through F&M's Sidearm page. Hudl is the Centennial Conference's ticket provider. Fans can purchase tickets online or on-site by scanning the event QR code; cash is not accepted. Centennial Conference students, faculty and staff receive free admission with a valid college ID. Published ticket prices are $10 for adults and $5 for students ages 6 through high school and senior citizens. Children 5 and under are admitted free.
Centennial Conference Tournament
SEMIFINALS: Friday, Nov. 13 | 7 p.m.
#3 Johns Hopkins at #2 Swarthmore | Tickets
#4 Haverford at #1 Franklin & Marshall | Tickets
CHAMPIONSHIP: Sunday, Nov. 15 | 1 p.m.
Semifinal winners at the highest remaining seed
