HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College volleyball program has released its fall 2022 schedule, with 12 home matches inside Gooding '84 Arena as the Fords return to intercollegiate competition in earnest this September. The Fords will look to improve on the 2021 success that saw the squad reach the Centennial Conference final and notch a victory in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. Despite losing five valuable seniors, the Fords return to action with a great balance of leadership from experienced veterans and an influx of talented first-year players eager to make contributions right away.
The schedule kicks off with a scrimmage against Rowan on Friday, August 26 to knock off any rust before the annual alumni match on Saturday, August 27 inside Gooding Arena. The regular season begins with the annual Haverford Invitational over Labor Day Weekend, as the Fords play host to four visiting teams. Haverford takes on local foe Cabrini and Central Pennsylvania side Elizabethtown (Sept. 2) before wrapping up the weekend with matches against a pair of teams from the NJAC in Stockton and New Jersey City (Sept. 3).
The early season tournaments continue as Haverford hosts the Ford Invitational inside Gooding Arena on September 9 and 10. Haverford squares off with Susquehanna, Springfield, and SUNY Cortland. The last full weekend of tournament action sees the Fords in Oberlin, Ohio for the Oberlin Tournament against sides from the host Yeowomen, John Carroll, and Chatham on September 16 and 17.
The Fords hit the road to open Centennial Conference play against McDaniel on September 24 before returning home for a midweek matchup against Bryn Mawr on Wednesday, September 28. The wheels on the bus will go round and round to Charm City and Johns Hopkins for an away tri-match with the host Blue Jays and York (Oct. 1) before a midweek trip to Lancaster, to take on Franklin & Marshall (Oct. 5). The Fords then have back to back home contests, starting with Dickinson on Wednesday, October 8 and concluding with Muhlenberg Wednesday, October 12.
A small road trip starts with a pivotal non-conference tri-match against Messiah and Arcadia (Oct. 15) and ends with a return to conference play against Washington College (Oct. 19). The Fords will look to take advantage of playing two of the final three regular-season matches at home as the schedule concludes with a Senior Day home match against Gettysburg (Oct. 22) and the home finale against Ursinus (Oct. 26). The final regular season match is Saturday, October 29 against rival Swarthmore, who the Fords took down in the final home match and semi-final of the Centennial Conference tournament in 2021.
This year's edition of the Centennial Conference first-round contest is scheduled for Wednesday, November 2 ahead of semifinal action on November 5 and 6.
In 2021, the Fords finished with 24 wins, returning to the Centennial Conference playoffs for the 18th time in the last 21 seasons. That stretch included a season-best of nine consecutive wins in the middle of the season, as Haverford sprinted out to a 12-0 start. Haverford's 24 wins built on the 2019 season that saw them register 22 wins, which at the time, was the most for the program in a single season since the 2014 squad that also notched 22 victories.
Fans are encouraged to keep up to date with HaverfordAthletics.com and @HCFords_Sports on Twitter for the latest fall schedule and competition updates.