Volleyball Championship Central | Digital Program
FIRST ROUND: Wednesday, November 3 | Lancaster, Pa.
#5 Gettysburg 3, #4 Franklin & Marshall 0
Box Score | Recap
SEMIFINALS: Saturday, November 6 | Baltimore, Md.
#1 Johns Hopkins vs. #5 Gettysburg, 1 p.m.
Video | Live Stats
#2 Haverford vs. #3 Swarthmore, 3:30 p.m.
Video | Live Stats
CHAMPIONSHIP: Sunday, November 7 | Baltimore, Md.
Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.
Video | Live Stats
HAVERFORD, Pa. - The second-seeded Haverford College volleyball team (22-4, 9-1 CC) heads to Baltimore on Saturday for a Centennial Conference semifinals matchup with rival third-seeded Swarthmore (13-7, 8-2 CC) on Saturday. The contest is slated for 3:30 p.m. inside Goldfarb Gymnasium on the campus of top-seeded Johns Hopkins.
The Stage is Set
An automatic bid to the NCAA tournament is on the line this weekend in Baltimore as the winner of the Centennial Conference Championship game will earn the conference's automatic berth. The first semifinal matches the top-ranked Johns Hopkins Blue Jays (27-0, 1-0 CC) also the nation's number one squad, against fifth-seeded Gettysburg (15-8, 6-4 CC), as the Bullets earned their spot in the final four by virtue of knocking off fourth-ranked Franklin & Marshall in Lancaster on Wednesday in a 3-0 sweep. Gettysburg is making its first semifinals appearance since the 2011 season.
Regionally Ranked Fords
Haverford is ranked fourth in the latest release of the NCAA Division V Regional Rankings. These NCAA regional rankings ultimately lead up to the selection of at-large bids for the NCAA Tournament. The rankings mark the third consecutive week the Fords have been included in the regional release. Haverford has impressed against regionally ranked opponents, going 7-3 against teams listed in their respective region's rankings.
Squirrel Dance?
A final rankings will be made available on Monday, November 8 after the completion of all the conference tournaments around the country. That final ranking will be made public after the teams selected to the NCAA Tournament have been announced. The selection show is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET on Monday, November 8.
I Think I've Seen This Film Before
Haverford is back in the postseason for the 18th time in the last 21 seasons.
Hood Trophy Rematch
Haverford and Swarthmore met in the regular season finale On October 30 as the Fords prevailed in one of the most exciting three-set matches possible, as the back-and-forth affair saw Haverford grab a 32-30 win in the marathon third set. The Fords clinched the No. 2 seed in the Centennial Conference tournament with the result, relegating Swarthmore to the third seed.
A Championship Pedigree
In total, Haverford has hoisted the Centennial Conference championship trophy on four occasions, rising to the top of the conference in consecutive seasons from 2006 to 2009. Haverford also made the NCAA tournament as an at-large selection in 2014.
All-Time Series History
The Fords are 36-24 all-time against Swarthmore, including an 8-7 mark on a neutral floor. This is the first neutral site meeting between the two sides since the 2016 Centennial Conference semifinals, as Swarthmore prevailed in three sets at Goldfarb Gymnasium. Haverford has won the last two regular season meetings.
CC Leaders
Senior outside hitter Dina Kosyagin currently leads the Centennial Conference in kills (371) and is second in kills per set (3.91). First year libero Juliet Young is first in the conference in both total digs (540) and digs per set (5.68). The blocking effort of first year MB Taylor Jones has been exemplary as she is currently second in the CC in blocks per set (.99) and leads the CC in total blocks (93). Senior setter Sara Hunsberger is second in the CC in total assists (812) and assists per set (9.55).
In the National Statistical Rankings
Young is making a name for herself nationally in her rookie campaign, as she is currently 14th in the nation in digs per set. Kosyagin ranks 35th in the nation in kills per set and 31st in total digs. Hunsberger is 36th in Division III in assists per set, while Jones ranks 48th in the nation in blocks per set .
Dina is Divine On Senior Day
Kosyagin earned Centennial Conference Player of the Week honors as she helped Haverford clinch the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Centennial Conference postseason with 3-0 wins over Ursinus and Swarthmore during the last week of the regular season. The senior outside hitter averaged 4.83 kills per set at .288% clip, contributing 5.3 points per set for the Fords. She opened the week with eight kills in a sweep of Ursinus, and followed that up by tying the Haverford program record for kills in a three-set match with 21 over rival Swarthmore. She committed just three errors in that match, tallying four kills in the do-or-die extra points of the third set and securing that marathon third set, which ended 32-30, with a service ace.
Follow the Fords
Haverford fans wishing to follow Haverford throughout postseason action should bookmark the Centennial Conference Digital Network, and be sure to follow @HCFords_Sports on Twitter and @HCFordsSports on Instagram.