Wang Breaks Another Record in Five-Setter with Diplomats
LANCASTER, Pa. -- Garnet senior outside hitter Jen Wang closed her collegiate career on a high note, breaking the school kill record Saturday morning at Franklin & Marshall College. Resilient Swarthmore took the Diplomats to the limit, falling 3-2 (25-16, 15-25, 20-25, 25-16, 15-12) in Centennial volleyball action Saturday morning.
Wang (Palo Alto, Calif. / Henry Gunn) tallied a match-high 22 kills in her final volleyball match, closing a four-year run that saw her amass 1,171, topping the previous mark (1,151) held by All-Centennial outside hitter Erica George ’07. The senior captain also extends her school record for kills in a season to 360---she has been ranked nationally all season long, entering the week 35th in Division III, with 3.74 kills per set.
Wang was the leader of the defense versus F&M, amassing a match-high 28 digs Saturday morning, closing out her career with 1,362 in 105 career matches. As a team, Swarthmore entered the week 23rd in Division III with 18.95 digs per set, a direct result of their outstanding team defense.
Speaking of defense, fellow senior Erin Heaney (Buffalo, N.Y. / City Honors) also closes out her Swarthmore career by adding to a school record. Heaney posted eight digs on Saturday to set the program mark at 1,560 career digs.(14th all-time in the Centennial).
After a slow start in the first set, the Garnet women picked apart the Diplomats defense (14 kills and just two errors in 37 attacks in the second set) to gain a 2-1 lead. F&M gritted its teeth for the fourth set and carried the momentum into the final set, jumping out a five-point lead on two occasions.
Swarthmore refused to roll over, coming back from both deficits to tie the score. F&M secured the match right at the very end, securing their spot in the upcoming Centennial Conference playoffs.
Swathmore freshman outside hitter Genny Pezzola (Oakland, Calif. / St. Mary’s College HS) had another outstanding day, collecting 17 kills, 23 digs and five service aces. She led the Conference in aces during the season, amassing 62 in 96 sets to lead the Centennial. Junior setter Kearney Bangs (Kingston, Wash. / North Kitsap) paced the offense with 44 assists, tying the most she has handed out in one match this season, to go along with 19 digs (also a season-best).
Swarthmore volleyball concludes the 2008 season with a 6-19 overall record (2-8 in Centennial action).