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Volleyball Completes Unblemished Weekend at Haverford Invitational

Julia Gallagher-Teske
Julia Gallagher-Teske
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HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College volleyball team closed out its annual Haverford Invitational with a pair of sweeps on Sunday, taking down visiting Eastern (25-20, 25-15, 25-12) and Medaille (25-17, 25-3, 25-15). The Fords finished the weekend without dropping a set, recording their first perfect 4-0 mark through the tournament since the 2009 season.

Senior Julia Gallagher-Teske (25 kills, 18 total blocks) was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2019 edition of the tournament, joining Sara Matsumura (69 digs, 13 service aces) and Lindsey Keener (38 kills, .310 hitting percentage) on the All-Tournament team. 

Haverford 3, Eastern 0

Facing a tough task against a local rival, the Fords looked every bit as crisp as they did in Saturday's action. Keener reprised her strong collegiate debut with an electric first set, recording six kills on just nine total swings in the stanza. Haverford jetted out to a 17-11 lead before the Eagles responded with a run of their own, cutting the advantage to just one in favor of Haverford at 20-19. Undaunted, the Fords responded with a 4-0 run that was highlighted by a highlight reel block from Gallagher-Teske and Keener. Matsumura delivered a service ace to give Haverford set point, and Gallagher-Teske put things away with a kill, giving the opening strike to the Fords. 

In the second, Haverford turned a 6-6 tie into an 19-8 advantage behind a run at the service line from setter Sydney Miller. Miller contributed a service ace in the stretch while Madison Adore and Kendall Otridge teamed up for a block that put a jolt into a large crowd gathered for the mid-morning match. Haverford squashed any idea of a comeback from the Eagles, as Dina Kosyagin emerged down the stretch, contributing seven kills on 15 swings to lead the Fords to a 25-15 decision. 

Matsumura took her turn at the service line to begin the third, and instantly saw a 5-0 run come to fruition behind a pair of service aces and strong front row play from Keener and Gallagher-Teske. Eastern tied the score at 10-10, but the cohesion and rhythm of the Haverford blocking unit was too much to overcome for the visitors, as Adore and Otridge highlighted the stanza with a trio of showstopping blocks to put Haverford up nine. With Matsumura back at the service line and a comfortable lead in hand, Keener also contributed the final three points on kills, taking perfectly placed passes from Miller and finding the floor as Haverford completed the sweep over Eastern. 

Keener had a match-best 13 kills, while Kosyagin again had a standout performance, recording 11 kills against four errors on 26 swings. Miller was a stalwart again, contributing 36 kills. Matsumura grabbed four service aces to go with 18 digs. Otridge had five blocks, while Adore and Gallagher-Teske each contributed four. 

Haverford 3, Medaille 0 

In the second match of the day, Haverford sprinted out to an early 10-2 lead, frustrating the visiting Mavericks as Matsumura was again masterful from the service line. The lead stretched to 20-10 before Medaille used a late run to get within seven at 24-17. Kosyagin finished the first set victory with the final of her three kills in the stretch. 

The start of the second set resembled the first as again it was Haverford out to a big lead early, with Medaille left searching for answers. After a 9-1 run to begin the set, Kendall Robison took over at the service line with the scoreboard reading 12-3 in favor of the hosts. Haverford would not allow another point in the frame, as Robison delivered three service aces in a stretch that also included seven consecutive Medaille errors. Claire Nicholas saw her first action of the season late in the set, delivering a pair of kills to put Haverford on the brink of set point. 

Haverford was in total control after the second second triumph, as Isabel Schwam began the third set on a run that included three consecutive service aces. A block from Gallagher-Teske and Kosyagin put the Fords up 11-4, and another strong serving turn from Matsumura helped Haverford convert a 14-10 lead into a 20-10 advantage. Otridge finished the sweep with a solo block as the Fords completed an unblemished opening weekend of the season. 

Gallagher-Teske had a match-best seven kills, while Matsumura notched 17 digs and Miller recorded 14 assists. Otridge paced the blocking effort with six total stops. 

The Fords will now return to action on Friday night inside Gooding '84 Arena, hosting the inaugural Ford Invitational. Haverford faces off with Neumann (5 p.m.) and Cabrini (7 p.m.) to open the weekend. 

Haverford Invitational All-Tournament Team
Jackie Allen, Wells 
Caroline Shelby, Eastern
Ally Spillane, Eastern
Sara Matsumura, Haverford
Lindsey Keener, Haverford
Julia Gallagher-Teske, Haverford 

Haverford Invitational Most Valuable Player
Julia Gallagher-Teske, Haverford