HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College volleyball team (10-12, 3-4 CC) was defeated by Ursinus (12-10, 3-5 CC) in a Centennial Conference matchup at Helfferich Hall on Wednesday evening. Set scores for the match were 25-20, 17-25, 25-17, and 26-24.
Gia Frank led the Fords with 16 kills, while Izabela Potocnjak also reached double digits with 10 kills. Taylor Jones notched nine total blocks, including three solo efforts, while Kira Chaney contributed a team-best 16 digs. Cameryn DeBlecourt tallied 23 assists, and Kayla Chu added 13, surpassing the 1,000-career assists milestone in the process. Dasha Igonin added four service aces.
For the Bears, Caroline Sherman was a dominant force with a game-high 21 kills and just five errors on 42 attempts. Rachel Bernard added 32 assists and two service aces, while Mel Eglinton tallied six total blocks. Emma Illovsky led Ursinus with 19 digs.
The teams remained close in the early stages of set one, but the Bears pulled ahead 14-10 after a kill from Sherman. Consecutive kills by Alonna McCummings and Reena Robinson, followed by an ace from Alexa Mazzero, extended the Bears' lead to 20-14. The Fords called a timeout, but Ursinus continued its run, reaching set point at 24-15. Haverford fought back with kills from Fiona Moord and Frank, who also teamed up for a block. Another block from Moord and Potocnjak forced an Ursinus timeout, but Eglinton secured the set for the Bears with a kill.
In the second set, the Fords found their rhythm. After the score was tied at 9-9, Ursinus went on a 4-0 run, but Haverford responded with a 5-0 surge, capped by a block from Potocnjak and Moord. The Fords continued their momentum, taking a 19-14 lead with kills from Frank and DeBlecourt. A first-ball kill from Frank extended the lead to 20-15, and after a block from Jones, three consecutive Ursinus errors helped set up Brown for a set-ending kill.
Ursinus reclaimed control in the third set, establishing a sizable 19-9 lead. Despite a late Haverford rally that included a 5-0 run with three consecutive blocks, Ursinus closed the set as Lexi Couch delivered the winning kill.
In the fourth set, the teams traded points with neither side able to pull away early. Frank's kill gave Haverford an 11-10 lead, but a 4-0 run from the Bears prompted a Fords timeout, with Ursinus up 14-11. Sherman's strong play restored a four-point cushion for Ursinus, but Haverford fought back to take a 20-18 lead, highlighted by two consecutive service aces from Potocnjak. The Fords held a 24-20 lead after a Frank kill, but Ursinus mounted one last comeback, pulling within two and eventually tying the score after a service ace from Bernard. Couch put Ursinus at set point, and a Fords' error sealed the Bears' run to clinch the fourth set and the match.
Haverford will now return to action on Saturday, hosting Senior Day at Gooding '84 Arena, where a pre-match ceremony will honor seniors Taylor Jones, Téa Kuzbari, and Caroline Lucas. First serve against McDaniel is set for 1 p.m.