SCRANTON, Pa. - The Haverford College volleyball team (7-8) concluded its non-conference slate on Saturday afternoon at the John Long Center on the campus of the University of Scranton, taking part in the annual Electric City Invite tournament against the host Royals and NESCAC foe Wesleyan. The Fords earned a hard-fought split, rallying to down Wesleyan after falling to Scranton to begin the day.
Scranton 3, Haverford 0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-20)
The Fords fell in straight sets to the host Royals to open action on Saturday morning. Haverford struggled to find its rhythm offensively, hitting just .075 for the match. Senior captain Taylor Jones racked up 12.5 total points on four kills, four blocks, and an ace. Izabela Potocnjak also had a strong performance offensively, notching five kills and an ace, while Gia Frank added seven kills. Kira Chaney notched 19 digs, and Cameryn DeBlecourt had 11 assists.
Scranton did well to keep its offensive rhythm going, hitting .224 for the contest. The Royals were led by Kassidy Means, who had a match-high 12 kills. Sophia Hadjiyane also had a strong contest with nine kills.
In the first set, Scranton jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. The Fords trailed 17-9 following a block from Danielle Kramer and Erin Gretsky, prompting a timeout. The Fords were able to make a late push, climbing back to within five at 19-14, but it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit. The Royals took the first set 25-18.
The second set was a back-and-forth affair. Haverford took an early lead, but Scranton battled back to take a 14-13 advantage midway through the frame. Jones delivered a solo block to knot the score at 14-14, and the teams then traded points until the Royals pulled away late to win the set 25-21 with a 4-0 run to close things out.
In the third set, the two sides were deadlocked in the early goings. Scranton called for a timeout after a Potocnjak kill knotted things at 13-13, and it was then Haverford forced to call for time after a brief run for the Royals put the hosts up 18-15. The two sides were deadlocked again at 19-19 following a service ace from Eliana Brown, but back-to-back kills from Hadjiyane down the stretch gave the Royals match point with Maddie Orth at the service line. A Haverford error proved to be the final point of the match, giving the hosts a 25-20 victory to secure the sweep.
Haverford 3, Wesleyan 0 (25-22, 26-24, 25-23)
The Fords, showcasing some great resilience after the first match loss, clinched the contest against Wesleyan in straight sets. The Cardinals, a squad receiving votes in the latest AVCA poll, were competitive in each frame, but Haverford remained in command to claim the sweep. Set scores were 25-22, 26-24, and 25-23.
Gia Frank had a standout match, with 11 kills against just one error for a .400 hitting percentage. She also added three total blocks. Eliana Brown notched seven kills and Jones tallied eight to go with a pair of blocks.
The first set saw Haverford take an early lead, capitalizing on Wesleyan's attack errors and powerful kills from Frank and Brown. The Cardinals fought back, narrowing the gap with kills from Bianca Gonya and Morgan Mattson, but the Fords seemingly had an answer for every Wesleyan run. Wesleyan called for timeout as the Fords rattled off two consecutive points for a 22-20 advantage, but the Cardinals were able to pull back within one following a Gonya kill. A 2-0 Haverford spurt to seal the set included a kill from Brown and a block from Fiona Moord as Haverford held on to win the first stanza 25-22.
The second set was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams exchanging leads and momentum swings. Wesleyan's India Clark delivered a series of impressive kills, while Jones answered with her own momentous attacks, connecting with back-to-back kills for an 18-13 Haverford lead. The set reached a dramatic climax with the score knotted at 22-22. India Clark gave the Cardinals leads of 23-22 and 24-23, but Frank had an answer, connecting on back-to-back kills to give the Fords set point before delivering the crucial block that sealed the stanza for the Fords at 26-24.
In the third set, Wesleyan came out strong, determined to extend the match. Kills from Clark and Mattson gave the Cardinals an early advantage, with Wesleyan up 13-9 to prompt a Haverford timeout. Haverford's balanced attack, led by Brown and Jones, ultimately proved too much for Wesleyan to handle. A service run with Potocnjak at the line helped the Fords open up a 19-16 lead, and despite the Cardinals tying things late at 22-22, Haverford was simply stronger down the stretch with Jones giving the Fords set point at 24-23 before an attack error by the Cardinals sealed the sweep at 25-23.
For Wesleyan, Clark was the key contributor, tallying 11 kills, an ace, and a block. Morgan Mattson also played a key role for the Cardinals on Saturday, adding seven kills and five blocks.
With the non-conference slate now in the rear view, Haverford now jumps into Centennial Conference play on Saturday, October 5, taking on Dickinson in the CC opener at the Kline Center. First serve is slated for 1 p.m. in Carlisle.