CHESTER, Pa. – The Haverford College volleyball team opened the 2026 season with a straight-set victory Tuesday evening, defeating host Widener 3-0 (26-24, 31-29, 25-19) inside the Schwartz Center in Chester.
Sophomore Elizabeth Cella, the reigning Centennial Conference Rookie of the Year, began her second season with a match-high 19 kills on .302 hitting. Cella recorded eight kills during the extended second set and seven more in the third, including the final two kills of the match.
First-years Marlee Hills and Anna Krotky Koeppe also made immediate impacts in their collegiate debuts. Hills delivered 12 kills with just one error on 15 attempts for a .733 hitting percentage, while Krotky Koeppe directed the offense with 34 assists. The first-year setter added three kills on five errorless attempts, five digs and a service ace.
Haverford raced out to a 10-3 advantage in the opening set, with Cella contributing three early kills and combining with Maggie Turner on two blocks during the run. Widener answered with a 15-6 stretch to move ahead 18-16 and later extended its advantage to 22-18.
The Fords remained composed, using kills from Cella and Hills along with a well-placed Hills-Turner block to pull within 22-21. After Widener reached set point at 24-23, a Pride attack error evened the score. Senior Dasha Igonin followed with an ace before Hills delivered the clinching kill for the 26-24 victory.
The second set featured a whopping 17 ties and seven lead changes. With the score even at 17, Hills and senior Gia Frank produced consecutive kills before a Widener attack error and a Kira Chaney ace gave Haverford a 21-17 advantage. The Pride responded and eventually tied the frame at 24-24.
The teams traded the next several rallies, with Cella providing three kills and Frank adding two during the back-and-forth sequence. Widener twice moved ahead late, including a 29-28 advantage, but Hills answered with a kill to level the set for the final time. Hills then served the final two rallies as the Fords secured the 31-29 win on consecutive Widener errors.
Haverford began to pull away in the third after an early 9-9 deadlock. Hills started a 6-1 run with a kill, while Krotky Koeppe added a kill and Cella delivered another during the stretch. A Krotky Koeppe service ace later extended the lead to 17-11.
Widener narrowed the margin to 19-16, but Frank halted the rally with a kill. Hills and Cella then recorded consecutive kills as Haverford rebuilt its advantage to 23-17. With the Fords holding match point at 24-19, Cella delivered her 19th kill to complete the sweep.
Frank joined Cella and Hills in double figures, finishing with 10 kills on .529 hitting. Turner added three kills and four block assists, while Chaney anchored the back row with a match-high 16 digs and two aces.
The Fords finished with 54 kills and a .354 hitting percentage, recording at least 15 kills and hitting above .300 in each of the three sets.
Haverford limited Widener to 36 kills and a .196 hitting percentage, including a .100 mark in the closeout frame.
Volleyball returns to action Friday at 6 p.m., hosting Misericordia in its home opener as part of the Haverford Invitational at Gooding '84 Arena.
