2020 Season Preview

Of all the fall sports at Haverford, perhaps no team has had to adjust to the restrictions and realities of the pandemic quite like the volleyball program, as outdoor workouts began in earnest on Monday, September 21. The Fords, split into two "functional units" to ensure proper social distancing, have been getting their work in on Upper Featherbed field, where a grass court has been constructed for the squad. 

The captains for this season, senior Madison Adore and junior Isabel Schwam, have been tasked with leading a group through a semester unlike any other, dealing with trials and tribulations of modifying an indoor sport for the outdoor environment. 

"Playing on the grass has been an experience. It is getting better every day, but we aren't used to having to deal with bugs, the sun, and slipping on the grass. That has been a very touch and go experience," said Adore. "We've had to adjust, constantly adjust, but it's been really, really nice to be back and playing with everyone."

With the functional units split into small groups, the work that has been undertaken in the first week has mainly been specific to positional groups, but each unit is practicing on the same day, allowing for the teams to reconnect briefly in passing, utilizing the time period between the two group meetings.  

"It's been nice to do the small group work and we've been able to really incorporate our first years into that.", added Schwam. "There is a lot of adjusting, we definitely miss the indoors and playing all together, but we are making the best of what we have and everyone is having a lot of fun." 

Off the court, the team is bonding through the use of technology and socially distanced meet-ups, making sure that everyone feels engaged and comfortable. 

"We've been making use of Zoom. There are certain restrictions on how we can get together, so we've played some Zoom bingo, some Zoom scattergories, which was really fun," said Schwam. "We've had to adjust to whatever the college is doing, and those types of experiences just help us get to know each other and that's been our focus since we've been here." 

The captains both spoke about using these practice times wisely, with Adore noting the importance of using this period to challenge each other and integrating the first year players into the culture. 

"The best thing about our team is a lot of people lead by example and it's easy to follow along when people are leading themselves and buying in at every point," added Adore. 

Schwam expressed the team is steadfast in its commitment to its goals and principles, despite this pause from outside competition. 

"I want to be ready to go, and be ready to play and challenge the opponents that have given us a hard time in the past. That drive to continue to move around in the Centennial Conference still exists," said Schwam. "It might not be in the forefront of everyone's minds, I think it's still on the forefront of mine. Instilling that competitive fire into the first years and showing them what Haverford Volleyball is all about." 

In 2019, the Fords finished with 22 wins, returning to the Centennial Conference playoffs for the 17th time in the last 20 seasons. That stretch included a scorching start to the season, as Haverford sprinted out to a 12-0 start.