HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College volleyball team (12-2) split a tri-match on Saturday afternoon inside Gooding '84 Arena, outlasting conference foe McDaniel (4-8) in five sets before falling in three to a formidable Stevens side (11-2).
Haverford 3, McDaniel 2
In the contest with the Green Terror, Haverford jumped out to a 1-0 victory in the first set behind a strong attack that was anchored by Dina Kosyagin and Taylor Jones. Haverford's relatively straightforward 25-18 victory was not a harbinger of an easy victory to come, however, as McDaniel had other plans in store for its Saturday, fighting back with a 25-23 second set victory. The Fords pulled to as close as 22-21 late in that stanza, but the Green Terror used some solid play from Maddy Bigley and Regan Gefroh to tie the match at 1-1.
Kosyagin and Jones went to work offensively and defensively in the third set, with the Fords pulling away down the stretch, notching six of the final seven points behind a strong blocking effort, a unit that has paced the Centennial Conference all season long. McDaniel then grabbed the fourth set from the grasp of Haverford, with Anna Jezerski and Brenna Campbell helping to key an 8-0 run that put things out of reach for the Fords.
In the decisive fifth set, Haverford had a sustained run of its own when it mattered most, as Kendall Otridge and Abby Holland found the floor in succession to key a 6-0 stretch that gave Haverford a commanding 13-6 lead. McDaniel had one last gasp, with Angalyn Strouse delivering a service ace, but Taylor Jones again put things away with a kill.
Kosyagin finished with 19 kills while Jones added 15 and Holland notched 13 of her own. The Fords came out swinging in the early match, with Hunsberger proving to be vital in the middle with 48 assists in the five-setter to guide a crisp passing effort. Juliet Young notched a game-best 19 digs.
Stevens 3, Haverford 0
Facing a Stevens side that had just taken down McDaniel in four, Haverford found itself in a 10-5 hole early in the first set. Undaunted, the Fords battled back to within one as Kosyagin again was vital offensively. Elle Maggio and Ava Smithing were difference makers for the Ducks in the first frame as Stevens went ahead 17-12, prompting a Haverford timeout.
The Fords pulled back to within three at 19-16, and later got to within two after an emphatic block from Jenna Jones and Holland, but Stevens scored three of the final four points to pull ahead 1-0 in the match.
The second saw Stevens cruise to a 22-15 advantage, thanks in part to a 6-0 run, before Haverford responded with a 4-0 stretch to prompt a Stevens timeout. The Ducks regrouped to finish the set with three consecutive points, including two kills from Maggio.
The third was a chance for Haverford to showcase its dig or die mentality, as the Fords battled hard in a bid to avoid the sweep. The Fords trailed by just one at 11-10 following a kill from Otridge, but Stevens then rattled off four consecutive points to prompt another Haverford timeout. The Fords found themselves down seven at 21-14 as Gabrielle Fontanilla was inserted into the contest to provide a spark, with four assists down the stretch as Taylor Jones again was integral to the blocking performance.
Kosyagin was again the catalyst of the Haverford offense with 15 kills. Hunsberger registered 22 assists while Young (6) and Fontanilla (5) also were vital to the passing game. Taylor Jones tallied three solo blocks while Jenna Jones and Holland teamed up twice to stifle the Ducks attack.
Haverford returns to action on Wednesday, making a quick jaunt to Bryn Mawr for a matchup with the Owls at 7 p.m. inside Schwartz Gymnasium. The Fords then return home for another tri-match, this time hosting No. 1 Johns Hopkins (noon) and Arcadia (4 p.m.) on Saturday, October 2.