ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– Eastern University Women's Volleyball dropped a tough five-set decision to the Haverford College Fords. Though the Eagles scored three more total points in the match, the visiting Fords went up two points to start the final set and held that advantage to a 15-13 win in the deciding frame.
Hannah Pringle posted a game-high 20 kills and
Grace Casagrande had 35 digs, but the Fords had a 13-7 edge in blocks and were able to keep the Eagles out of system with tough serving in the sets they won. Eastern hit just .154 for the match.
The Fords (4-1) scored the final eight points of the opening set to erase a 20-17 deficit and claim an early edge. The Fords had six blocks and a pair of aces in winning the first set. The Eagles stabilized things in the second set and got solid balance in the attack.
Kallie Rogers came on early in the frame and had 11 assists and
Jailene Lugo had five kills on the way to a 25-19 win. Casagrande had nine digs in the second set.
The Eagles (4-1) were unable to take momentum forward after the second-set win. The two teams were separated by only a single point at 20-19, but the Eagles were only able to get a single
Bridgette Kelly kill over the final six points.
Logan Martin had five of her 16 kills in the third set, but it was not enough to put the Eagles over the top. Eastern hit just .098 in losing 25-20.
The Eagles had many of their best moments of the match in winning the fourth set 25-16. The Fords big front row only managed a single block in the set, and the Eagles hit .227. Pringle had six of the Eagles' 16 kills in the set.
With the Fords serving, the Eagles got the pass they needed to start the decisive set, but Pringle's powerful swing slipped just wide and the Eagles fell behind early. When Haverford doubled the edge with a Cameryn DeBlecourt ace, the visitors had the difference that mattered in the match. The Eagles briefly tied the set at 3-3, but played from behind the rest of the way. The Fords executed flawless offense in closing the match with a final set .348 hitting percentage.
Martin had 16 kills and Kelly finished with 13. Casagrande had a team-best five aces to go with her season high dig total. The 35 digs matches her highest total from last season and is one of her career-best mark set in the 2021 MAC Commonwealth Tournament against Messiah.
The Eagles are back home against Muhlenberg College next Tuesday.
