SWARTHMORE, Pa. – The Haverford College volleyball team (13-12, 6-4 CC) spoiled Senior Day for rival Swarthmore (16-9, 8-2 CC) on Saturday, prevailing in a five-set thriller inside Tarble Pavilion to cap off the regular season on a high note. The set scores were 25-22, 19-25, 25-22, 23-25, 15-12, as Haverford secured a valuable Hood Trophy point in the series. At the conclusion of fall competition in the all-sports series, Haverford now leads the Hood Trophy race, 3.5 to 2.5.
The Fords notched 17 service aces, their highest in a match since the 2019 season against Bryn Mawr. Haverford's emphatic win was powered by strong performances from Gia Frank and Taylor Jones, who combined for 29 kills. Frank led with 16 kills and a .433 hitting percentage, while Jones added 13 kills at .414. Eliana Brown contributed eight kills, 11 digs, and a remarkable 10 service aces, matching a program single-season record while keeping Swarthmore on its toes all afternoon, coming close to a coveted triple-double.
Cameryn DeBlecourt led in assists with 24, while Kayla Chu added 20 assists and three service aces. Defensively, Kira Chaney recorded a team-high 15 digs, and Jones contributed a match-best five total blocks (three solo, two assisted).
For Swarthmore, Isabel Adam led with 18 kills, while Alexia Enache and Keira Miles added 14 kills apiece. Setter Emily Sun tallied 38 assists, and libero Melissa Eyer led defensively with 27 digs.
The match began closely contested, with both teams trading points early. The score was tied at 13-13 after a Jones kill, but Swarthmore responded with a 7-0 run with Madeline Mountcastle at the service line. Haverford quickly rallied with a scoring run of its own. Strong blocking from Potocnjak, Frank, and Fiona Moord brought Haverford back within one, while a series of aces led to a Swarthmore timeout. Brown then closed out the frame with three consecutive aces, igniting the Haverford bench with the spirited run.
Swarthmore took an early lead in the second set, up 16-12. Haverford closed the gap with consecutive kills from DeBlecourt and Brown but eventually dropped the set, 25-19, as Swarthmore leveled the match.
In the third set, the Fords maintained pressure with timely runs and service aces, eventually opening an 18-13 lead after a Jones ace. The Fords later secured the set 25-21 on a Potocnjak kill.
The fourth set saw Brown once again trouble the Garnet with her crafty serves, quickly giving Haverford a 6-0 lead before the Fords extended things out to 8-0. However, Swarthmore responded with a strong run of its own, eventually tying the set at 21-21. The Garnet claimed four of the final six points to force a fifth set.
In the deciding set, Haverford surged to an 8-4 lead, thanks to strong blocking and effective serving by Chu. Swarthmore fought back to 9-8, but Frank's kill re-established an 11-8 lead. Moord's kill and a block from Moord and Frank brought Haverford to match point. Swarthmore staved off defeat briefly, but a final, match-securing block from Moord and Potocnjak clinched the upset for Haverford.
With this victory, Haverford clinches the fifth seed in next week's Centennial Conference Volleyball Championships and will travel to fourth-seeded Gettysburg on Wednesday, November 13. Match times will be determined in Monday's pre-championship conference call. Haverford is making its 20th trip to the Centennial Conference tournament in the last 24 seasons and the third in the last four years for this senior class. In total, Haverford has hoisted the Centennial Conference championship trophy on four occasions, rising to the top of the conference in consecutive seasons from 2006 to 2009. Haverford also made the NCAA tournament as an at-large selection in 2014 and 2021.