HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College volleyball team (18-6, 4-2 CC) climbed past visiting Washington College (7-15, 1-5 CC) by a 3-1 final Wednesday evening inside Gooding '84 Arena. Set scores were 25-27, 25-18, 25-17, 25-19.
Dina Kosyagin had a match-best 16 kills while Kendall Otridge also reached double digits with 10. Sydney Miller added 39 assists and a pair of service aces while Sara Matsumura (19 digs) and Isabel Schwam (10 digs) helped pace the defensive effort. Blocking was again strong for Haverford, with Julia Gallagher-Teske tallying eight blocks while Madison Adore added four as the Fords posted nine total team blocks. Gallagher-Teske finishes the night with 401 career blocks in her impressive career, becoming the first player in program history to reach the 400-block mark. The senior is now seventh in Centennial Conference career history in total blocks.
In an uncharacteristic first set, the Fords struggled for consistency down the stretch, as 10 errors helped Washington sneak by with a 27-25 victory. Haverford rebounded in the second set, shaking a tough challenge from the Shorewomen with a 5-0 run creating some breathing room at 19-12. First-year hitters Kendall Otridge and Lindsey Keener were vital in that stretch, before Kosyagin went to work in the latter goings, notching three of Haverford's final four points in the stanza for a 25-18 victory.
The third set saw the Fords turn a slim 12-11 lead into a more robust 18-11 advantage with a run that was not thwarted by a Washington College timeout. Gallagher-Teske was involved in back-to-back blocks to set the tone for the run, teaming up with Adore and Kosyagin on the consecutive stoppages. Miller delivered a service ace and Adore later punched down a kill to put an exclamation mark on the stretch. Later in the set, Miller notched one of her four kills to give Haverford set point, before an attacking error by the visitors gave Haverford the victory at 25-17.
In the fourth, a solo block from Gallagher-Teske sent the Fords a 15-9 advantage, and the hosts held a six-point lead at 17-11. Washington College called for timeout following a Kosyagin kill, but the sophomore later posted her 16th kill to give Haverford match point, as the Fords took advantage of an error to secure a conference victory at 25-19.
Kylie Peets had nine kills to lead the Shorewomen, while three Washington College players tallied double-digit digs. Lauren Zedler had 15 assists and Isabella Sansanelli notched four service aces for Washington. Haverford has now won 23 straight matchups over Washington College, a streak that dates back to 1999.
The Fords will next welcome McDaniel (12 p.m.) and Stockton (4 p.m.) into Gooding '84 Arena for a tri-match on Saturday, October 19.