November
5, 2006
Haverford Captures First Centennial Crown;
Fords Dismantle Diplomats, 3-0
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.
