HAVERFORD, Pa. – A late comeback in the fourth set came up just short for the Swarthmore College volleyball team (19-8, 8-2 CC) as it fell in four to the Haverford College Fords (19-9, 8-2 CC) by a 13-25, 25-22, 18-25, 22-25 score on Saturday, Oct. 31.

The Garnet overcame a slow start in the first to take the second as Sarah Wallace tallied eight of her 18 kills in the frame and hit .750. At 4-4, Wallace swung two consecutive kills and Swarthmore gained a lead it would not relinquish. A four-point run shortly after forced a Haverford timeout at 10-5 as the Fords attempted to regroup. On several occasions, Haverford cut its deficit to two points, but Swarthmore kept them at bay and closed out the set on a service error from the Fords.

A seven-point Haverford run early in the third was countered by three consecutive points from the Garnet to even the set at 10 apiece. The teams traded points until 19-16 when the Fords used a four-point streak to move into position for a 2-1 lead. Sophomore Olivia Leventhal hit well in the frame, totaling six kills and no errors in 13 total attempts. Freshman libero Sarah Girard also recorded six of her 18 digs in the set.

At 7-7 in the fourth, Haverford broke the set open by taking seven of the next eight points for a 14-8 lead and eventually extended its advantage to eight at 21-13. The Garnet, however, battled valiantly and claimed three consecutive points behind a kill from Bridget Scott and a pair from Wallace. After conceding a point, the Garnet took three more with Malia Scott swinging two kills and a timely Wallace service ace.  Haverford called a timeout at 22-19, but Swarthmore followed up as senior Anastasia White-Torruellas found a hole in the Ford defense. The Garnet reduced its deficit to one at 22-23, but Haverford wrapped up the set and match with two straight points.

Sam DuBois (27 assists, 10 digs), Malia Scott (15 assists, 13 digs) and Wallace (18 kills, 11 digs) all recorded double-doubles in the match. Senior Madison Heppe notched 10 digs and Leventhal recorded a team-high three block assists.

The team has secured the third seed in the upcoming Centennial Conference tournament and will face Haverford in a rematch on Saturday, Nov. 7 at a time yet to be determined.