SWARTHMORE, PA. - The Swarthmore College volleyball team dropped a pair of matches against Franklin & Marshall College, 3-1, and No. 16 Virginia Wesleyan University, 3-1, in Saturday's regular-season finale.
With their loss to the Diplomats, the Garnet will hold the fourth seed in the Centennial Tournament, hosting Gettysburg College in Wednesday's opening round.
SWARTHMORE 1, FRANKLIN & MARSHALL 3
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Early in the opening set, the Garnet rallied for four-straight points to take its first lead over the Diplomats, 5-3. Keira Miles helped fuel the run with a pair of kills to give her squad an early boost. Both teams remained neck-and-neck for the majority of the set until the Diplomats pulled away with a 10-2 stretch to close the stanza, 25-17.
- The Diplomats found their groove towards the end of the opening set and carried that momentum into set two. Franklin & Marshall got out to a 9-2 run, before the Garnet strung together four-straight points to mount resistance. Despite a Swarthmore run, the Diplomats regained control with a 12-5 stretch to build a double-digit advantage, 21-11. The Diplomats held off the Garnet to win the set, 25-16.
- Swarthmore got out to its best start of the match, jumping out to a 7-3 lead. Miles and Angelina Heminway capped off the run with a pair of kills. After withstanding some resistance from the Diplomats, the Garnet picked up where they left off with a 5-1 swing to take a six-point lead. Swarthmore kept its foot on the gas, making a late push to build a 19-12 lead. Zindzhi Montgomery was excellent early in the set, tallying a key kill and block to energize her team. The Diplomats pushed the Garnet to their limit with a late 10-3 run to pull within a point. However, Swarthmore closed a wild finish with a clutch combo block from Montgomery and Alexia Enache to stay alive with a two-point victory, 25-23.
- Franklin & Marshall regrouped from its third-set defeat with an 11-5 opening to the fourth. The Garnet clawed back with three-straight points to trim their deficit to three, but surrendered four-unanswered to fall back into a seven-point hole, 18-11. Following a Garnet timeout, Montgomery helped provide a spark with a kill, before the Garnet delivered another punch with three-straight points to force a Franklin & Marshall timeout, 21-16. Heminway helped bring her team closer with a consecutive kill and an ace, however, the Diplomats held on for a match-clinching win, 25-21.
GARNET LEADERS
Kills: Adam 11
Blocks: Montgomery 3
Assists: Mountcastle 22
Digs: Eyer 20
SWARTHMORE 1, NO. 16 VIRGINIA WESLEYAN 3
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Garnet got off to an impressive start, jumping out to a 5-1 lead over the Marlins. Swarthmore opened the match with three straight kills, two from Miles and one from Enache, to blitz Wesleyan out of the gates. The Garnet then built on its lead as they dominated a nationally-ranked Marlins squad in the opening set. Madeline Mountcastle registered back-to-back service aces within a 6-0 stretch for Swarthmore. The Garnet went on to cruise to a stunning 25-16 opening set win.
- Swarthmore backed up its opening set performance with another excellent start to the second set. The Garnet led early and often, using a 5-1 run to take a commanding six-point lead, 17-11. Isabel Adam was exceptional during the set, captaining the 5-1 stretch with three kills and an ace. After the Garnet led for the majority of the set, the Marlins eventually turned things around with seven-unanswered points to take a two-point lead. Both teams traded blows in a wild finish until Wesleyan put its foot down with three-straight points to end a thrilling stanza, 30-28.
- Wesleyan carried momentum into the third set with three-straight points. The Marlins maintained their grasp on the set, until the Garnet strung together four-straight points to tie the set, 11-11. Swarthmore's momentum was short-lived as the Marlins rallied for four-straight points of their own within a 6-1 run. The Garnet answered the call with another 6-1 run, but gave way to Wesleyan, who held on for a 25-19 decision.
- Swarthmore got off to the right start in a must win fourth set, opening the stanza with a 4-0 lead. Nicole Kim helped lead the way with back-to-back aces, while Adam closed the run with a kill. Wesleyan eventually titled momentum in its favor with six-straight points inside an 14-2 run to build a six-point cushion, 17-8. After finding themselves in a nine-point hole, the Garnet fought back with a 7-1 swing to pull within four points, 18-15. Mountcastle helped pace the team with excellent serving, adding a pair of aces during the run. Swarthmore pulled off a seemingly insurmountable comeback, as they overcame a nine-point deficit to tie the set at 19-19. However, they were unable to outlast the Marlins, who held on for a 25-22 set-clincher.
GARNET LEADERS
Kills: Adam 18
Aces: Kim 5
Blocks: Montgomery 4
Assists: Mountcastle 22
Digs: Eyer 19
UP NEXT
The Garnet (17-11, 7-3) set their sights on the Centennial Tournament, hosting fifth-seeded Gettysburg in Wednesday's opening round.
