GRANTHAM, Pa. - The Haverford College volleyball team (4-3) dropped a pair of five-set heartbreakers on Saturday on the Jordan Court in Hitchcock Arena at Messiah. The Fords, fresh off a victory at Eastern, showed great resilience with 15 total sets of volleyball in less than 24 hours. Haverford dropped a 3-2 decision to the host Falcons in the morning match, rallying back after dropping the first two frames, before being stunned by Virginia Wesleyan in the afternoon session by a 3-2 final.
Gia Frank finished the two-game set with 26 kills to pace the Fords, while Eliana Brown was a standout in the first contest, with 19 kills on 60 swings. Cameryn DeBlecourt finished Saturday's action with 44 assists while Kayla Chu contributed 22. Izabela Potocnjak added seven service aces. Fiona Moord contributed eight total blocks between the two matches.
Messiah 3, Haverford 2 (25-16, 25-22, 24-26, 18-25, 15-12)
Fresh off an epic Friday night win at Eastern, the Fords had reason to look a bit sluggish out of the gates against the Falcons. Messiah rode an error-free first set, hitting .441 to secure a 25-16 advantage.
In the second set, Haverford jumped out to an 11-7 lead, with Jones contributing a block while Frank and Brown went to work offensively to buoy the visitors. The Fords extended their advantage to 16-11 following a service error from the hosts and a kill by Gia Frank. However, a big run from the Falcons helped them get right back into the game. With Cassidy Dell at the service line, Haverford's 17-13 lead quickly became a 21-17 deficit. Caroline Lucas ended the stretch with a kill, but Messiah scored three of the final four points to take a 2-0 set lead.
Undaunted, the Fords felt they were still in a good spot despite the deficit and battled to a 15-13 lead, prompting a Messiah timeout midway through the third set. Haverford held a 23-20 advantage after a DeBlecourt kill, but the Falcons fought back, prompting a Haverford timeout after a Chayney Barnhart kill. Although Haverford had set point, the hosts rallied to tie the score at 24-24. However, a pair of errors from Messiah allowed Haverford to take the set with a crucial win.
In the fourth set, the Fords turned an 11-11 tie into a 19-12 lead with back-to-back kills from Lucas and Moord. Jones sealed the deal with a block, teaming up with Potocnjak, and then secured the 25-18 victory by grabbing a kill off a pass from Chu, sending the match to a decisive fifth set.
In the final set, Messiah gained momentum early, taking an 8-3 lead with Barnhart providing offensive firepower. Haverford climbed back within three as Messiah struggled to maintain composure. The Fords narrowed the lead further to just two at 14-12, with Frank adding consecutive kills, but Dell secured the victory for the Falcons with a final kill.
Sarah Hart (17 kills), Barnhart, and Dell each reached double-digit kills for Messiah, while five different Falcons recorded double-digit digs.
Virginia Wesleyan 3, Haverford 2 (25-17, 21-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-8)
Virginia Wesleyan started strong, as the Marlins grabbed the first set 25-17 with consistent offensive pressure and an efficient .258 hitting percentage.
Haverford responded in the second set, improving their attack and securing a 25-21 win, led by Gia Frank's critical kills down the stretch and Téa Kuzbari's defensive efforts. Haverford took a 12-9 lead following a service ace from Potocnjak, prompting a Marlins timeout.
The Fords then traded points, with a Fords timeout coming after a 3-0 VWU run tied things at 16-16. Haverford used a Kuzbari service run to take a 22-19 lead, prompting another Virginia Wesleyan timeout, and Jones sent the Fords into the third set tied with a kill.
Virginia Wesleyan opened the third set on a 14-9 run, but Haverford battled back with a strong push to tie things at 14-14. Haverford continued its momentum with Lucas adding back-to-back kills, putting Haverford up by two at 17-15. Another offensive salvo from the Marlins put them ahead 22-20, but a well-placed timeout allowed Haverford to regroup, as the Fords found the right formula for five of the next six points, eking out a 25-23 victory.
The fourth set swung back to Virginia Wesleyan, as the two sides found little separation throughout, with a 6-2 Haverford run to open the widest gap between them. The set was tied at 18-18 following a Potocnjak service ace, but Virginia Wesleyan pulled ahead 23-21 with a Leah Scalise kill. Salena Jones added another kill for a 24-21 cushion, and the Marlins put a 25-22 tally in their column to force a decisive fifth set.
Virginia Wesleyan started hot in the fifth frame, prompting a Haverford timeout with a 6-1 run. The stretch eventually extended to 10-2, effectively sealing the set for the visitors as Haverford struggled for consistency. Frank and Moord put Haverford within six, but VWU was able to escape.
Haverford now returns to non-conference action with a home matchup against Elizabethtown at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 11 inside Gooding Arena. The contest begins a stretch of four home matches in the span of six.