WESTMINSTER, Md. - The Haverford College volleyball team (7-4, 1-0 CC) opened up the Centennial Conference slate with a convincing 3-0 sweep of McDaniel (1-8, 0-2 CC) Saturday at the Gill Center, prevailing by set scores of 25-10, 25-22, and 25-10. The Fords hit .370 for the match while limiting the Green Terror to just a .140 clip on the afternoon. Haverford committed just seven attack errors and added 16 service aces in a thorough performance.
First-year Izabela Potocnjak paced the Fords with eight kills on just 11 swings while Gabrielle Fontanilla (11 assists) and Cameryn DeBlecourt (10 assists) proved vital in running the offense efficiently. Juliet Young was the only player in the contest to reach double-digit digs, adding 13.
The Fords came out of the gates firing, with an early 8-1 run to wrestle control of the momentum of the first set and prompt an early McDaniel timeout. Eliana Brown added three consecutive service aces in that early stretch, and suddenly, Haverford was out on a 14-5 run as Fontanilla contributed a pair of service aces in succession. With Sydney Rucker at the service line, Haverford grew its already sizable lead to 21-8 as Potocnjak and Brown were both hot down the stretch for the Fords. An ace from Young ended the set at 25-10.
McDaniel looked calmer and more poised in the second set, and the Fords had some early struggles as it was the Green Terror out to a 14-12 lead looking to even things up. Undaunted, the Fords then responded with a 6-0 run with Taylor Jones at the service line, pulling back to an 18-14 lead behind the sophomore co-captain. Jadyn Elliott contributed a late kill and Young notched another service ace as Haverford pulled away 25-22 to take the 2-0 lead into the closeout set.
The third was a chance for the Fords to step on the gas and leave Westminster with a victory. The squad did just that, looking to be the aggressor with an early 4-0 lead. Eventually, that lead ballooned to 14-5, and Haverford did not look back from that point. With a commanding 22-9 lead in hand late, Kendall Otridge and DeBlecourt each added kills down the stretch to help the Fords complete the sweep. Jones notched a match-best five service aces, while Fontanilla (four) and Brown (three) also were integral in the service game.
Haverford improves to 19-13 all-time against McDaniel and has won two straight in the all-time series after a five-set triumph at Gooding Arena last season. This was Haverford's first sweep of McDaniel since 2012 and the first in Westminster since 2011.
The Fords will now hop right back into Centennial Conference action at home on Wednesday, September 28 taking on Bryn Mawr for a 7 p.m. first serve. The contest will be part of Haverford Athletics' Pride Week.