CHESTERTOWN, Md. – The Haverford College volleyball team notched a 3-1 win over homestanding Washington College on Wednesday evening, dispatching the Shorewomen by set scores of 25-17, 23-25, 25-23, and 25-22 inside the Cain Athletic Center. Senior co-captain Natalie Pisch moved closer to 1,000 kills with an impressive 12-kill performance, pulling her career total to 988 at the end of competition today.
Three Fords registered double-digit kill totals with Pisch joining Dina Kosyagin with 12 kills while Julia Gallagher-Teske notched 10 kills and added five total blocks on the evening. Sara Hunsberger recorded a double-double with 40 assists and 14 digs, the third of her career. Sara Matsumura had a match-best 34 digs while Riley Outen set a new career best with six service aces, tied for second-most in a four-set match in program history. In total, Haverford unleashed 11 service aces on the Shorewomen.
In the first set, the Fords sprinted out on a huge run to pull away from the Shorewomen towards the latter stages of the first set. The stanza featured Haverford tying the score at 11-11 with a block from Pisch and Riley Outen. The Fords then took a 17-15 lead before Washington College stormed back with a Cassie Kowalski kill, cutting the Haverford advantage to just two at 19-17. The Fords responded, unleashing a 6-0 run to end the set behind Matsumura at the service line. Outen and Pisch teamed up for another block in the frame while Pisch put the exclamation mark on the first set win with a kill to clinch the set.
In the second, Washington College responded with a 12-5 run to begin the frame. Haverford battled back with a 6-0 run to cut the lead to 12-11 and eventually took a 14-13 advantage on an attack error by the Shorewomen. Washington College was determined to get on the board, hitting .250 in the stanza to eventually take a 25-23 set victory.
The Fords reversed the 25-23 decision in the third, with a 5-1 run giving Haverford a 15-11 lead as Gallagher-Teske delivered a kill. The Fords and Shorewomen went back-and-forth in the set, with Hunsberger notching a service ace to give Haverford a 23-21 lead, prompting a Washington College timeout. The Shorewomen battled back again to tie the score at 23-23, but Kosyagin and Pisch delivered two final kills for the Fords to take the set victory and move to the brink of grabbing a conference match victory on the road.
Victory in the fourth was imperative for Washington College, but it was Haverford who came out with a greater sense of urgency looking to put away the match. The Fords opened up slightly stronger offensively than the hosts, pulling to a 13-8 lead and extending that advantage to 17-10. Washington College rallied back, prompting a Haverford timeout at 17-14. The set was tied at 21-21 as the Shorewomen had plans on a late comeback. A pair of back-to-back Outen service aces put Haverford up 24-21 and Kosyagin delivered on set point with a kill at 25-22, putting quickly to rest the thought of a five-setter.
The Fords will now head to Hoboken, N.J. on Friday for the Stevens tournament. The Fords will play the host Ducks at 8 p.m. on Friday, October 12 before returning on October 13 for matchups with Scranton (1 p.m.) and Stockton (3 p.m.) to wrap up the tournament.