HAVERFORD – Nina Voith is reminded of her father’s achievement every time she walks into Gooding Arena.
It would be hard for the Haverford College senior shooting guard not to notice.
On the far wall, barely a bounce pass from the Fords’ bench, hangs an oversized banner touting Dick Voith, Class of ’77. His retired uniform No. 4 is depicted along with a line noting his 2,175 career points, his conference MVP for the 1976-77 season and his First Team All-America honor.
Having your dad recognized as the Haverford College men’s basketball all-time leading scorer carries a lot of weight, so much so that Nina was asked if she wanted the banner taken down when she arrived on campus five years ago.
‘I said, ‘No way, I’m proud of my dad,” Nina recalled last night, shortly after the senior rose to the top of Haverford’s women’s basketball scoring list with 1,299 points in her 93rd game.
Katie Crowley, Class of ’06, had the previous mark of 1,291 in 95 games.
Voith achieved the milestone in a very understated style Wednesday night, eclipsing the old mark on a 3-pointer that rattled home 3 minutes, 51 seconds into the Fords’ Centennial Conference clash with Muhlenberg.
The game was not stopped. There was no presentation of flowers, balloons or even a keepsake basketball to stash in her trophy case. In fact, play continued for nearly 10 more minutes until, during a timeout, the Haverford public address announcer let the crowd know what they had just witnessed.
The announcement was met with mild applause, including Nina’s parents Dick and Daniela, seated in their customary seats at midcourt opposite the scorer’s table.
Even after the final horn, with the 17-2 Fords holding on for an important 49-44 victory over the perennial conference power, the celebration seemed somewhat muted.
‘The idea is to win the game, and I think that was Nina’s focus too,’ said Dick Voith, who admitted to being ‘a little embarrassed’ by seeing his banner at every home game.
‘I’m sure it means a lot to Nina and I’m very proud of her,’ he continued. ‘I get great joy watching her play, seeing her play reminds me of how it was when I was real thin and going up and down the court. She’s had a great career and it was a challenge when she struggled back from a torn ACL.’
According to Fords coach Bobbi Morgan, because Haverford does not allow redshirts, Nina Voith took a year off from school after her knee injury to work in an architecture firm.
‘You’d never know by looking at her that she was ever injured,’ Morgan said. ‘When I took this job, she was on my list of kids that I wanted. We’ve been together since the start, so I’m thrilled for her. She’s a kid who just loves to play basketball.’
Nina Voith’s importance to the Fords’ program goes beyond scoring, as she tops the team in nine statistical categories this season. One stat she leads in is turnovers, which is a product of her penchant for going all-out all the time.
‘She can do everything and she’s relentless,’ Morgan continued. ‘She plays with a bounce and the best compliment I can pay is to say she’s a playground player. She knows how to play and she isn’t afraid to play pick-up with the guys.’
And she’s all too willing to put the team ahead of her personal achievements.
‘I didn’t want to distract from the game,’ Nina Voith said when asked about the delayed announcement of her milestone.
‘I remember when they did that for me (at Germantown Friends) and we lost the game. So I was really happy that everything was low-key. I would’ve been miserable if we lost, and I’m sure someone will break my mark soon anyway.’
The Fords are entering uncharted waters this season, ranked among the top 20 nationally in five categories and compiling a lot of ‘firsts’ along the way to their 11-2 conference mark. One of those ‘firsts’ occurred last night when Haverford defeated the Mules for the second time in a season.
Along with Voith’s accomplishment, the Fords excelled because Elizabeth Lynch stepped up with a game-high 19 points and grabbed eight tough rebounds, and Jacquelyne Pizzuto hit a clutch 3-pointer with just over two minutes to go and then sank three free throws in the final 16 seconds.
Daniela Voith certainly noticed from her prime bleacher spot.
‘It’s personally gratifying (to see Nina get the record), but the coach has done a fabulous job and the whole focus this season has been on the team,’ she said. ‘Senior Day is coming up and I’m sure (Nina) will get some recognition when it’s appropriate. It’s the win at this point that’s the important thing.’
