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Matsumura Named First-team All-CC, Two Earn Honorable Mention

Matsumura Named First-team All-CC, Two Earn Honorable Mention

Full Centennial Conference Release

HAVERFORD, Pa. - Senior co-captain libero Sara Matsumura headlines the three members of the Haverford College volleyball team to earn selection to the 2019 All-Centennial Conference volleyball teams, picking up a first-team spot. Senior middle blocker Julia Gallagher-Teske and sophomore outside hitter Dina Kosyagin were both also named honorable mention All-Centennial for the first time. 

Matsumura has now been named to an All-Centennial squad for the third consecutive season after an honorable mention in 2017 and a second-team nod in 2018. The chemistry major is the first Haverford player to garner three consecutive All-Centennial awards since Meg O'Day was named to the first team in four consecutive seasons from 2012 to 2015. The Salt Lake City, Utah native had a stellar final season for the Fords, proving to be a defensive asset and vocal floor general for the 22-win Haverford squad. 

Overall, Matsumura paced the conference in digs (521) and digs per set (5.99). In conference contests, Matsumura was first in digs per set with 6.41 and fifth in total digs (141), despite missing the final four Centennial contests due to injury. Matsumura also notched 54 service aces on the season, including nine against Centennial competition. 

In addition to all-conference honors, Matsumura was named to the Centennial Conference All-Sportsmanship team for the fourth consecutive season, becoming the first player in program history to earn that distinction four times since the introduction of the plaudit to the conference's postseason awards array in 2009. 

Gallagher-Teske, of nearby Doylestown, Pa., capped a stellar four-year career with a prolific blocking effort as a senior. Gallagher-Teske tallied 1.14 blocks per set overall, including a 1.25 blocks per set mark in Centennial Conference play. In total, Gallagher-Teske recorded 127 total blocks in 2019, and 45 in conference games. Each total topped the Centennial Conference leaderboard. The biology major leaves Haverford as the program's all-time blocks leader (426) and the only player to top 400 career blocks. She finishes her career sixth in Centennial Conference career history in the category.

Kosyagin earns All-Conference honors for the first time after a standout sophomore campaign as an outside hitter. The Las Vegas, Nev. product was instrumental to Haverford's attack all season long, ranking second in the Centennial Conference in total kills (330) and kills per set (2.97). In conference competition, Kosyagin also ranked second with 122 total kills and 3.49 per set. She reached a career high in kills with 20 in the regular season finale victory over Swarthmore. Through just her first two seasons at Haverford, Kosyagin ranks 11th in career kills per set (2.73). 

Johns Hopkins setter Natalie Aston was named the Centennial Conference Player of the Year, while Blue Jays head coach Matt Troy was named the Centennial Conference Coach of the Year following his team's unblemished run through conference play. First year outside hitter Zanze Kuba-McCoy of Gettysburg was named the conference's Rookie of the Year. 

The Fords will now await the announcement of All-Region awards in the next several weeks. Haverford took great strides forward in 2019, as the squad opened the season with 12 consecutive victories, finished with more than 20 wins for the first time since 2015, and returned to the postseason for the 17th time in the last 20 seasons. Haverford's 22 wins were the most for the program in a single season since the 2014 squad also notched 22.