Signature Wins: The Haverford College volleyball team clinched a Centennial Conference playoff berth with a 3-2 victory (25-18, 21-25, 25-18, 27-25, 15-9) over the Washington College Shorewomen at the Gooding '84 Arena (Oct. 28).
Junior Valentine Courouble set new career highs with 25 kills, 15 digs and a .417 attack percentage. Seniors Keri Godbe (20 kills, 19 digs), Nina Mutty (17 digs and 13 kills) and sophomore Zoe Wong (39 assists and 14 digs) also had double-doubles in the match. Wong's 39 assists were a career high while her 14 digs matched a personal best.
After dropping the first two sets, the team fought all the way back to win 3-2 over the Swarthmore College Garnet (16-25, 16-25, 25-18, 25-23, 18-16.) in the Centennial Conference Semifinals at the Goldfarb Gymnasium (Nov. 7).
The fifth set featured 15 ties and eight lead changes. Neither team led by more than one except for two occasions at 5-3 and 18-16. The Fords faced match point after a ball-handling error (14-13), but head coach Michele Benoit called back-to-back timeouts. Two errors by the Garnet gave the Fords the lead, but the Hood Trophy rival fought off match point with two consecutive points to take a 16-15 advantage. A kill by Godbe gave the set its 15th tie (16-16). After an attack error, a block by sophomore Kaylynn Mayo and freshman Natalie Pisch sent the Fords to the Centennial Conference Championship.
Awards:
AVCA All-American Team: Meg O'Day (Honorable Mention)
AVCA All-Regional Team: O'Day (North Region)
All-Centennial Conference: O'Day (first team), Godbe (second team)
Centennial Conference All-Sportsmanship: Jeanna Kenney
Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll: Courouble, Godbe, Abby Keller, Kenney, Mayo, Olivia Walsh and Wong
Centennial Conference Ranks:
Attack Percentage:
Meg O'Day (Second)
Valentine Courouble (Fifth)
Kills:
Keri Godbe (Second)
Meg O'Day (Third)
Kills per Set:
Meg O'Day (Fourth)
Keri Godbe (Fifth)
Assists:
Olivia Walsh (Seventh)
Zoe Wong (T-9th)
Assists Per Set
Zoe Wong (10th)
Service Aces:
Nina Mutty (Second)
Zoe Wong (Third)
Service Aces Per Set:
Nina Mutty (Fifth)
Zoe Wong (Seventh)
Digs:
Jeanna Kenney (Second)
Keri Godbe (Eighth)
Digs Per Set:
Jeanna Kenney (Sixth)
Solo Blocks:
Meg O'Day (Second)
Block Assists:
Kaylynn Mayo (Third)
Total Blocks:
Kaylynn Mayo (Fifth)
Meg O'Day (Sixth)
Season Notes:
The Fords qualified for the Centennial Conference playoffs for the 15th time in the last 16 seasons … Haverford won 20 matches for the fourth straight season, only the second time in program history that the team has done that … O'Day became just the sixth player in Centennial Conference history to receive all-conference team honors four times … The senior graduates as the all-time leader in attack percentage (.349) and block assists (244) … Godbe was a four-time All-CC player, being named to the first team (2013-14) and honorable mention (2012) … The team ranked second among their conference peers with seven on the Centennial Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll.
Looking Ahead: Despite losing a senior class that won 84 matches, went to three Centennial Conference playoffs, culminating in a trip to the NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinals in 2014, the Fords return three of its five leaders in kills in hopes of returning to the conference tournament for the third straight year.