SWARTHMORE, Pa.–The Swarthmore College volleyball team (10-1, 2-0 CC) used a strong defensive showing to win its 10th match in a row, a 3-1 victory over the visiting Franklin & Marshall Diplomats on Wednesday, Sep. 21.

Swarthmore prevailed by a 25-20, 15-25, 25-18, 25-18 score to remain atop the Centennial Conference standings at 2-0.

Sophomores Elise Cummings and Sarah Girard each recorded 22 digs as the Swarthmore defense limited F&M's attack to a .098 mark. Cummings completed the double-double with 29 assists and freshman Mehra den Braven achieved the same feat on 15 kills and 16 digs. Junior Malia Scott filled the box score with 17 digs, 12 assists and seven kills and Sarah Wallace, fresh off recording her 1,000th kill, hit .263 with a season-high 19 kills and four errors in 57 attempts.

Wallace started the match on a roll by collecting eight kills in the first set alone. The Garnet never trailed in the frame and held a narrow, 17-16 lead before a four-point run, highlighted by two kills from den Braven, put them in the driver 's seat. The Diplomats saved one set point at 24-19, but a kill by Wallace on the next point put an end to the comeback and gave Swarthmore a 1-0 advantage.

F&M bounced back and did not commit an error in 27 attack attempts as it evened the match at one set apiece. In the third, Swarthmore put the clamps on the Dips, holding them to a -.093 hitting percentage from seven kills and 11 errors in 43 attempts. Scott recorded seven digs in the frame and Cummings served two consecutive aces to give the Garnet momentum. Leading 19-17, the home team went on a four-point run and took advantage of F&M miscues to go ahead 2-1 in sets.

The final frame featured six kills from Scott and 13 digs by Cummings as the lead changed hands only once. F&M called a timeout trailing 16-12 and again at 21-14 in favor of Swarthmore. Coming out of the break, Scott buried a kill off a pass from Girard before the teams traded serve back and forth. The Diplomats saved two match points to remain alive but Olivia Leventhal's sixth kill of the evening sealed the win for Swarthmore.

The Garnet put their unbeaten streak on the line when they travel to Dickinson for a conference match on Saturday, Sep. 24 at 12 p.m.