First Round (at Dickinson): McDaniel d.
Dickinson, 26-30, 30-26, 31-29, 30-22.
Semifinal (at Franklin & Marshall): Haverford d.
Gettysburg, 30-25, 30-28, 28-30, 30-26.
Semifinal (at Franklin & Marshall): Franklin
& Marshall d. McDaniel, 30-25, 31-33, 30-25, 34-32.
Final (at Franklin & Marshall): Haverford d. Franklin
& Marshall, 30-28, 30-25, 30-23.
LANCASTER, PA – Third-seeded Haverford
College (24-4 overall) cruised past top seeded tournament host
Franklin & Marshall (19-10), 3-0 (30-28, 30-25, 30-23), en
route to the its first ever Centennial Conference Postseason
Tournament championship Sunday afternoon. The Fords, who defeated
second-seeded Gettysburg 3-1 in the semifinals of the tournament on
Saturday, are the first team in the 14-year history of the
Centennial Conference other than Franklin & Marshall and
Gettysburg to take home the Centennial Conference volleyball
championship trophy.
In game one, Haverford and F&M played even all the way
up to a 28-28 score. However, the Fords captured the first game
with two straight points at the end of the match, as freshman
middle hitter Rachel Salvo pounded the ball between a pair of
Diplomat defenders to secure the game one victory.
The Fords started game two off on a 6-0 run. Franklin &
Marshall worked its way back to within four points at 19-15, and
five points at 25-20. However, the Fords closed out game two by
scoring five of the game’s final eight points.
Game three produced a tense atmosphere for the crowd, as the game
went back and forth until it reached 16-16. The Fords went on a 5-1
run, producing a little breathing room as the game headed to its
close. The Diplomats got within two points at 23-21, but the
motivated Fords scored the last five points of the game, and closed
out game three with a 7-2 run to solidify its CC Tournament
Championship and standing as the top volleyball team in the
Centennial Conference.
“We are successful at reaching our goals,” noted
Haverford head volleyball coach Amy Bergin, who collected her 101st
career coaching win at Haverford Sunday afternoon. “Each
player stepped up and did what they had to do to be successful as a
team,” said Bergin.
Haverford was once again led by freshman outside hitter and first
team All-Centennial Conference selection Rebecca Salvo, who
dominated the Diplomats, registering match-highs of 18 kills, a
.459 hitting percentage, and 18 digs. Twin sister and
All-Centennial honorable mention Rachel Salvo had 16 kills along
with a .389 hitting percentage and ten digs, while junior outside
hitter Dana Mullenhard registered ten kills. Hinchcliff, a second
team All-Centennial selection, had a match-high 47 assists along
with seven digs and two service aces. As a team, the Fords hit
.302, compared to F&M’s .219.
The Fords defense held Diplomats outside hitter, and Centennial
Conference Player of the Year selection, Margot Phelan, to only ten
kills in 28 attempts. Phelan led the Diplomats with 15 digs, while
Susan Taylor and Maritza Fair tied a team-high with 11 kills.
“All of the hard work we put into the entire season has paid
off, and now we have a new season to play in,” Bergin
added.
Haverford awaits word on their NCAA Division
III Volleyball Tournament opponent, which will be announced Monday
morning.