HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College volleyball team (9-9, 2-1 CC) claimed a pivotal Centennial Conference victory over Washington College (11-6, 1-2 CC) on Wednesday night, securing a 3-1 win at Gooding '84 Arena. The match concluded at Kannerstein Pavilion, the auxiliary court adjacent to Gooding Arena, after a bank of lights went dim, briefly delaying play in the fourth set before action resumed in the back gym under full lighting.
Led by Gia Frank's standout performance—highlighted by a career-best 17 kills and a .378 hitting percentage—the Fords took the match 25-18, 25-18, 21-25, 25-20. Taylor Jones added nine kills, while Cameryn DeBlecourt contributed 20 assists and three service aces to Haverford's victory. Eliana Brown chipped in with nine kills and two service aces. The blocking effort was strong again on Wednesday, with Fiona Moord and Taylor Jones each adding five total blocks.
Defensively, the Fords showed prowess, racking up 64 digs, with Kira Chaney leading the way with 18. Haverford also tallied 11 blocks, holding Washington College to a .073 hitting percentage.
Washington College was led by Allison McKechnie, who recorded 13 kills, while Mary Miller registered 23 digs and a trio of service aces. Despite a strong third set from the Shorewomen, Haverford defended home court in four sets.
The teams were tied at 12-12 early in the first set, but Haverford forced a Washington College timeout after pulling ahead to a 19-14 lead, fueled by kills from Izabela Potocnjak and Eliana Brown. Washington College stayed in the contest, closing the gap to four with a McKechnie kill, but the Fords were stronger down the stretch. Moord's kill gave Haverford a 22-17 lead, and three Shorewomen errors handed the Fords the first set.
Haverford took control of the second set, thanks in part to a tidy 12-5 run from the start. Brown and Jones capped the run with a block, and the Fords maintained their momentum, extending their lead to 15-9 and later 20-12. Frank ended the frame with a kill at 25-18.
Washington College staved off the sweep with an impressive third-set performance. Haverford called a timeout after a sustained run with Miller at the service line. Trailing 16-7, the Fords mounted a last-ditch effort to claim a sweep, with Frank notching three kills during the rally. An Eliana Brown service ace and a Washington error pulled Haverford within three, but the Shorewomen held on for a 25-21 win, with Saddic and McKechnie delivering key kills down the stretch.
The match was delayed with Washington College leading 7-4 in the fourth set, but the intensity remained high when play resumed. Haverford surged late, tying the score at 17-17 following a Jones kill. Frank then powered the Fords offensively, notching two kills to force a Washington College timeout with Haverford leading 21-18. A final 3-0 run sealed the match at 25-20, with Frank grabbing her 17th kill before Maggie Turner finished things off.
The Fords return to action on Saturday, heading on the road for a Centennial Conference showdown with No. 3 Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. The match is set to begin at 1 p.m. inside Goldfarb Gymnasium.