SWARTHMORE, Pa.  – The Haverford College volleyball team (21-8, 9-1 CC) held off the Swarthmore College Garnet (22-6, 9-1 CC) by a 3-2 score (25-23,25-23, 21-25, 26-28, 15-7) on Saturday at the Tarble Pavilion. The win gives the Fords the right to host the Centennial Conference Tournament next weekend (Nov. 8-9).

Junior Keri Godbe continued her stellar play with her seventh straight double-double. Her 24 kills led the Fords while she also added 21 digs. Junior Meg O'Day finished with 23 kills and a team-high .350 attack percentage. Junior Nina Mutty led the defensive unit for the visitors, recording a match-high 25 digs while junior Jeanna Kenney pitched in 22 digs in the win. Junior Olivia Walsh (31 assists) and freshman Zoe Wong (27 assists) set up the vaunted Haverford offense that finished one kill shy of its season-high with 69 kills.

The Fords jumped in front 10-4 in the first set, but the Garnet rallied to tie the score. The two teams exchanged the lead several times before Haverford grabbed a 20-18 advantage. The Garnet didn't go away, trailing by one on several occasions, but the Fords hung on for the first set victory.

In set two, the two conference rivals went back and forth until the Garnet went ahead 22-18. Head coach Michele Benoit's squad ended the set with seven of the final eight points, led by Godbe's four kills.

Haverford was leading 17-12 in set three; however Swarthmore stormed back with six straight points. The Fords regained the lead at 21-20, but three attack errors jump started a 4-0 run by the Garnet to end the set.

The fourth set was another close contest with the Fords holding the biggest lead of the set at 18-13. Swarthmore scored 10 of the next 13 points to make the score 23-21. A service error and kill by Mutty made the score 23-all. Three leads and two ties later put the score at 26-25 Fords, but the Garnet put up the final three points to send the match to a deciding fifth set.

Eleven of the first 14 points belonged to the Fords as they cruised to a fifth set win. With the match victory, Haverford will host the Centennial Conference tournament for the first time since the 2010 season. The volleyball team won four consecutive conference titles from 2006-09. The Fords will take on the winner of the No. 4 seed Johns Hopkins and the No.5 seed Franklin and Marshall next Saturday.