Full Centennial Conference Release
HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College volleyball team was represented on the 2022 All-Centennial Conference volleyball team by sophomores Taylor Jones and Juliet Young, the conference office announced in a release on Monday afternoon. Additionally, senior captain Kendall Otridge earned a spot on the Centennial Conference All-Sportsmanship team.
Jones, an honorable mention selection a season ago, was named the co-winner of the conference's inaugural Defensive Player of the Year Award, splitting that first-ever honor with Meredith Mangum of Franklin & Marshall. The Yorba Linda, Calif. product earned her second All-Centennial Conference nod in as many seasons after leading the conference in hitting percentage (.387), and finishing second in blocks per set (0.99) and third in total blocks (86). Jones ranks 17th in Division III for hitting percentage, and 47th in blocks per set. Jones' .387 hitting percentage was also the second-best all-time in Haverford program history, behind just Steph Frank's 2000 season in which she tallied a .388 percentage for the Fords.
Jones picked up the inaugural CC Defensive Player of the Week honors right out of the gates as Haverford sprinted out to a hot start to anchor through the first weekend of the season. Jones added 21 total blocks in four matches at the Haverford Invitational, picking up tournament MVP honors in the process as the Fords went 3-1 to start the season, with wins over Cabrini, Stockton, and New Jersey City.
This season, Jones had five or more blocks on five different occasions, including a season-best 10 rejections against Cortland on September 10. Proving to be a two-way force, Jones also rattled off 10 or more kills in six different matches, including a season-best 15 in an upset win over nationally-ranked Susquehanna on September 9.
Young, an AVCA All-America Honorable Mention selection as a first-year a season ago, found her way back into the fold for All-Conference after earning Rookie of the Year honors last season. Young ranked second in the CC for digs per set (4.71) and fourth for total digs (410). The Guilford, Conn. product also was seventh in the CC in serve receptions (433) and also ranked within the top 20 in the conference in service aces.
Young tallied double-digit digs in all but two matches this season, recording a season-high 38 in four sets against Muhlenberg (Oct. 12). She notched 20 more digs in eight matches and recorded a season-best eight aces against Cortland (Sep. 10) and York (Oct. 1).
Haverford joined Johns Hopkins, Swarthmore, Franklin & Marshall, Dickinson and Gettysburg as teams with multiple All-Conference honorees.
Swarthmore's Kaylee Zhang was named the Centennial Player of the Year while Simone Adam of Johns Hopkins eanred Rookie of the Year honors. The staff at Swarthmore earned CC Coaching Staff of the year recognition.