ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Haverford College volleyball team (12-12, 5-4 CC) took a significant step toward its Centennial Conference playoff hopes on Wednesday evening, sweeping Muhlenberg College (10-12, 4-5 CC) at Memorial Gym with set scores of 25-16, 25-23, and 25-16.
Gia Frank led Haverford's effort with 13 kills and a .407 hitting percentage. Cameryn DeBlecourt contributed 21 assists, while Eliana Brown added four service aces. On defense, Kira Chaney tallied a team-high 12 digs, and Fiona Moord added nine blocks, including two solo efforts.
In the first set, Haverford surged to a 15-10 lead, capitalizing on a solid blocking performance as both the middle and outside hitters found their rhythm early. Muhlenberg called a timeout after Brown notched three kills during the stretch. A service ace from Kalya Chu extended Haverford's lead to 16-10, followed by a kill from Yaylor Jones to make it 17-12. Brown added another kill as the set progressed, and Moord and Brown teamed up for a block at 19-14. DeBlecourt then added a service ace, and Moord registered a solo block late in the frame. Izabela Potocnjak's kill brought the Fords to set point, with a Muhlenberg error closing the set at 25-16.
The second set saw a close start, with the teams tied at 10-10. Olivia Bruno's kill leveled the score before the Fords edged ahead, prompting a Muhlenberg timeout at 18-15 after a kill from Jones and consecutive errors by the hosts. Potocnjak's service ace out of the timeout sparked a 3-0 run for Haverford, putting them up 22-16 as Jones landed another kill and Moord recorded a solo block.
Muhlenberg clawed back to within four points, but a Frank kill gave Haverford set point. The Mules rallied to narrow the gap to 24-22, prompting a Haverford timeout as Abigail Oswari contributed a service ace along with two kills from Esmae Oehler. Muhlenberg's Natalia Agnolet added a kill to bring them within one, but Potocnjak's kill out of the timeout clinched the set for Haverford at 25-23.
In the third set, Haverford built a 13-8 advantage and quickly extended it to 18-10 as Brown's service ace and a Moord kill led to a 16-8 edge. Another timeout from Muhlenberg followed as the Fords pushed ahead to 19-10 with additional kills from Frank and Jones. The Mules struggled to respond, committing back-to-back errors that allowed Haverford to move to 21-11. A late 3-0 run from Muhlenberg briefly closed the gap, but a Brown kill and a block from Caroline Lucas and Moord sealed the sweep for Haverford.
For Muhlenberg, Esmae Oehler led the offense with 11 kills, while Jenny Ryan added 17 assists. Abigail Oswari and Ansley Asche each contributed a service ace. Despite solid efforts, including 12 digs from Emma Laskaj and a solo block from Oehler, the Mules couldn't overcome Haverford's well-rounded performance.
The Fords will now return to action for their regular-season finale against Swarthmore on Saturday at 1 p.m. With a Hood Trophy point and playoff implications at stake, the Fords will face off in a high-stakes showdown inside Tarble Pavilion.