WESTMINSTER, Md. - The Haverford College volleyball team (10-12, 5-3 CC) swept past host McDaniel (10-12, 1-7 CC) on Saturday afternoon inside the Gill Center. Set scores for the match were 25-13, 25-13, 25-22 as the Fords hit .359 while holding the Green Terror to a .091 hitting percentage.
Taylor Jones had 12 kills on just 16 swings, hitting .750 without committing an error, while Eliana Brown added nine kills on 19 attempts. Kayla Chu was a force in the passing game with 26 assists while Juliet Young added 11 digs. Téa Kuzbari was a standout with a whopping nine service aces on the afternoon. The blocking effort was strong for the team with eight total blocks in the contest.
The first frame saw Haverford sprint out to a 9-5 lead, forcing a McDaniel timeout as Kira Chaney delivered a service ace to put a bow on a 5-0 run. The Green Terror were able to hang around, trailing by three at 11-8, but the Fords then found another gear with crisp play helping to key another spurt that ended with Haverford in command at 15-9. McDaniel got back within five at 16-11, but the Fords then unleashed a huge run with Kuzbari at the service line, as the junior delivered three consecutive aces before Chaney found the floor with a kill and teamed up with Jones on an emphatic block. Chaney then put Haverford up 23-11 with a kill before McDaniel was finally able to respond. A kill from Kayla Chu and an attack error by the hosts handed the Fords a tidy 25-13 set victory.
The second stanza saw Haverford continue that big momentum down the stretch with Kuzbari again impressive at the service stripe. After subbing into the match with the score 4-1, Kuzbari held down the fort as Haverford extended the lead to 10-1. Haverford was in cruise control from that point, taking a 15-13 lead following back-to-back kills from Jones and Potocnjak. A late 3-0 run from McDaniel did little to impact the rhythm of the match, as a block from Jones and Chu ended the second set at an identical 25-13 score.
The third set was a bit more of a tussle for the visitors, as McDaniel took a 12-10 lead to begin the set, prompting a timeout from the Fords. Haverford rallied to tie the score at 15-15 following a kill from Jones, but McDaniel rallied to tie the score again at 17-17. A kill from Jones and a Chaney service ace put Haverford up 19-17, and eventually the lead hit 22-18 following a Potocnjak kill. Haverford called for a timeout as McDaniel rattled off a 3-0 run to get back into things with back-to-back service aces, but Chu and Potocnjak teamed up for a kill and an attack error handed Haverford match point. As was the case at the end of the second set, a block ended the match with Frank and Potocnjak posting the denial.
Haverford improves to 20-13 all-time against McDaniel and has won three straight in the all-time series. This was Haverford's second consecutive sweep of McDaniel after previously not registering a sweep in Westminster since 2011.
Kenzie Mitchell paced the hosts with a match-high 13 kills, while two different Green Terror players notched 13 assists (Tatiana Hamilton and Hannah Waters). Haverford held their opponents without a block.
The Fords now return home for the final two regular season contests, beginning with a Wednesday, November 1 clash against Muhlenberg (7 p.m.). Volleyball will recognize BLUE Night for Type 1 Diabetes Awareness before taking on the Mules.