F&M, Swarthmore Go to the Wire in CC Playoffs
#5-seed Swarthmore took 4th-seeded Franklin & Marshall to the five-game limit before falling 3-2 in the first Centennial playoff game in Garnet volleyball history. F&M advances after winning by scores of 30-22, 29-31, 30-25, 28-30, and 15-10 in first-round action of the 2005 Centennial Conference Playoffs in Lancaster, Pa on Wednesday night.
The Diplomats (20-8 overall, 8-2 CC) jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the first game, eventually opening up a 17-8 lead on the Garnet. Swarthmore would not get closer than five points as F&M won the opening game 30-22.
F&M kept its hot streak going at the beginning of game two, rolling to an early 6-3 lead. Swarthmore hit back for six straight points and assumed a 9-6 lead, its first of the night. The Diplomats ran off three consecutive points of their own to continue the back-and-forth theme of the match.
With the game tied 20-20, outside hitter Jennifer Wang '09 put home a kill and then blocked an F&M attack, forcing the Diplomat coach to call a time-out. F&M immediately ran off three points to grab a 23-22 and Garnet head coach Harleigh Leach elected to take a time-out of her own. Sophomore middle blocker Karen Berk responded with a kill tie the game up at 23-all. The two teams would rally back and forth, tying the score six times. Wang killed a ball to make it 28-28, forcing another Diplomats time-out. Katie Gold '08 served an ace coming out of the time-out and F&M knotted the game at 29-all with a kill by sophomore Susan Taylor. Another big kill by Berk and a block by right side Vanessa Wells '08 gave the game to Swarthmore, 31-29.
Another battle ensued in the third game with players from both teams flying all over the court. The Diplomats were up 11-9 when F&M senior setter Jackie Skibbie went headlong into the bleachers for a wayward ball and slammed into the front row. The All-Centennial performer came up limping and had to come out of the game. Thankfully, the senior was able to return to the match after spending a few points on the sideline.
Meanwhile, Swarthmore outside hitter Erica George '07 tied the game 24-24 with a kill and F&M responded by running off six of the next seven points to win the game, led by four kills from F&M's All-Centennial outside hitter, freshman Margot Phelan.
Swarthmore fell behind 20-16 in game four and Leach used a time-out to calm the Garnet down. On the next F&M serve, a wayward Swarthmore pass shot towards the bleachers. This time it was Swarthmore's setter, senior Emily Conlon, hurtling into the stands. Both the ball and Conlon emerged in tact, and Gold stuffed a Diplomat hit to start a four-point Garnet run. The teams battled through three more lead changes with a F&M service error giving Swarthmore the lead for good. Gold put home a kill to end the game and send the match to a fifth and decisive game.
It was all F&M to start the final game, as the Diplomats raced out to a 6-1 lead. Swarthmore fought back once again, stringing four consecutive points to cut the F&M lead to 6-5. Wang had two big kills in the run, while Berk and Wells each added a kill. Phelan kicked it into high gear, tallying kills on five of the next eight points to send F&M to their 20th win of the season onto Baltimore to face Johns Hopkins in the Centennial semi-finals.
Conlon played an outstanding all-around game, ringing up 50 assists, 23 digs, five blocks, and five kills as the Garnet slipped to 13-15 overall. George, selected for All-Centennial second team on Tuesday, tallied 17 kills and a season-high 30 digs while Wang, an All-CC honorable mention pick, added a team-high 21 kills and 19 digs. Berk contributed eight kills and nine blocks while Gold tallied 11 digs, six kills, and five blocks.