LANCASTER, Pa. - The Haverford College volleyball team (8-12, 3-3 CC) was upended by host Franklin & Marshall (14-5, 6-1 CC) by a 3-0 final score inside the Mayser Center on Saturday afternoon. After a thrilling first-set marathon that saw the Diplomats prevail 27-25, the hosts took the second two sets 25-23 and 25-11.
Taylor Jones added nine kills on 22 swings to pace the Fords offensively, while Kayla Chu added 27 assists. Juliet Young had nine digs. Kira Chaney had another solid performance with seven kills and seven digs.
For the Diplomats, Gianna Mangiamele was a standout with 11 kills. Meredith Mangum (14 digs) and Coco Shultz (16 digs) were defensive standouts for the hosts, who hit .214 for the match while holding Haverford to just a .083 clip offensively.
The first set was a back-and-forth affair that saw both sides playing smoothly out of the gates. The contest was tied at 9-9 following a clutch kill from Eliana Brown, and Haverford then jetted out on a 4-0 spurt with a Claire Jordan service ace serving as a bow on the run. Jones delivered a block for a 15-12 lead, but Franklin & Marshall went back to work to restore a 16-15 lead. Haverford was up 19-16, but another 3-0 Diplomats run restored the 19-19 tie. The teams traded points from that period. Haverford had set point following Kira Chaney finding the floor with a kill at 24-23, but a huge Diplomats stand kept the visitors at bay. F&M had set point at 26-25, and Rei Baker ended things with a kill at 27-25.
The second saw Haverford take a 15-12 lead before Jada West and Mangiamele helped key a comeback effort that gave the hosts a 17-15 cushion. Haverford kept things close, tying the score as late as 22-22 following a service ace from Young. Ultimately, Mangiamele delivered a crucial block to open up a late 24-22 cushion to the Diplomats, who took the 25-23 victory.
In the third, Franklin & Marshall came out firing with a 7-1 run that put Haverford in an early bind. The Fords stabilized things, pulling to within four, but another big run for the hosts put the contest away as a 10-0 run suddenly saw the lead hit 20-5 in the waning moments. A late 3-0 run for the Fords was not enough as the Diplomats secured the sweep with a 25-11 victory.
The Fords will now continue Centennial Conference play on Wednesday, October 25 welcoming Ursinus to Gooding Arena for a 7 p.m. first serve. The match will also serve as Haverford's Faculty & Staff Appreciation Night as the stretch run heats up with three more home matches left in the regular season.