In 2010, the Haverford College volleyball team has the opportunity to become just the second school in Centennial Conference history to win five consecutive titles. Already stamped as a dynasty, the Fords quest for another title will be a tough road that this team willingly accepts.

With a team that returns 10 players and five starters from last season the goals remain the same – win the conference championship, play into the NCAA tournament quarterfinals and regain a top-25 national ranking.

"To reach those goals, we're going to have to play smart and maximize our talents," said ninth-year head coach Amy Bergin.

Bergin believes her squad can make it deep into the NCAA tournament because they have been tested in the past and will be again this season.

"We've prepared mentally and physically to get that far," she affirms.

The Squad

The Fords bring back plenty of experience for 2010 and it starts with senior Kelsey Cantwell. The outside hitter averaged 2.86 kills per set last season, nearly one more kill per set than in 2008, and finished third in the conference with 360 kills. Cantwell led the Centennial with 72 service aces and earned first-team conference honors.

"Kelsey understands the game and has great ball control," said Bergin. "We will look to her to set the tone."

Setting up Cantwell will be junior Kate Comey, who had a breakout season in 2009. Comey earned Honorable Mention American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America honors, AVCA Honorable Mention Mid-Atlantic Region Team accolades and was named Second-Team All-Centennial Conference. She led the conference in assists (1,386) and assists per set (11.00) for the second straight year in 2009 and her 11.00 assists per set were fifth-most in Division III. With her precision at setter the Fords offense averaged a Centennial-best 13.48 kills per set and led the conference in that category the two years she has run the offense

One player who Bergin expects to have a breakout season this year is junior Laura Ramos. She has seen limited action her first two seasons, but hits with a lot of power. In 48 sets played, Ramos has 81 career kills.

Manning the net for the Fords are junior Jenine Abbassi and sophomore Olivia Coburn-Flynn. Abbassi tallied 187 kills, finished second on the team with 70 blocks and led team with 21 block solos last year. Coburn-Flynn finished second in the conference with a .330 hitting percentage and led the team in blocks (73) and block assists (54) while registering 161 kills as a rookie.

"They understand their jobs and have increased knowledge heading into this season," Bergin said.

On the defensive side of the ball, Bergin challenged her squad to improve over the offseason.

"They had four criteria they had to work on in the non-traditional season and I'm excited to see how hard they worked in the offseason," she said.

Two anchors on the defense are two-year starters senior Franny Glick and junior Caitlyn Tranquillo. Glick recorded 269 digs in 2009 and reached double-digits in digs 10 times. Tranquillo tallied 328 digs, averaging 2.60 per set last year. She also emerged as a reliable server, finishing second on the team with 53 service aces. Sophomore Kaelyn Anderson saw some valuable time as a freshman and will be counted on to provide depth to the defense.

Due to the numbers of returners to the roster, Bergin's freshman class consists of only one player. Haley Lowrance is a 5-foot-9-inch setter from Phoenix, Ariz. who is very versatile and can play anywhere on the court.

"She's the real deal as a setter, hitter and blocker and has the ability to make a dynamic impact," said Bergin.

The Fords will be faced with the challenge of replacing Rachel and Rebecca Salvo '10. The duo combined for seven All-America nods and three Centennial Conference Player of the Year awards all while leading HC to four consecutive conference titles and trips to the NCAA tournament. Bergin knows this is not an easy task, but her team is up to the challenge.

"Our returners know what we've lost both offensively and defensively, but this team loves challenges and know what it takes to win," said Bergin. "That will compensate for what we've lost."

Schedule

Haverford's schedule is loaded with tough opponents. Ten of the Fords' 18 non-conference opponents participated in the NCAA tournament last fall. On the first weekend of the season HC has a rematch with Eastern, the team that ended its 2009 season in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Sept. 17 might be the toughest task the Fords' program has ever faced. Haverford takes on national runner-up Juniata and defending national champion Washington (Mo.) at the Tiger Invitational hosted by DePauw (Ind.).

Despite a very tough non-conference schedule, the good news is three of those matches against 2009 NCAA tournament teams will be at home where the Fords went 14-0 last season. Haverford hosts Gettysburg in a rematch of the 2009 conference championship and New York in a tri-match Sept. 22. The following Saturday HC welcomes Juniata as the two teams will face each other for the second time this season. Another date to circle is Sept. 30 when the Fords' play host to Lebanon Valley, another NCAA participant last season.

When it's all said and done …

Haverford hopes to have its fifth consecutive Centennial Conference title secured and advance past the third round of the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. For that to happen, HC needs the continued development of Cantwell, Comey, Abbassi, Coburn-Flynn, Tranquillo and Glick to carry the team and the emergence of Ramos and Lowrance to provide a powerful impact.

If those two things can happen concurrently, the 2010 season could be a memorable one for the Fords.