Cambridge, Mass. (November 12) – The Haverford College women's volleyball team swept UMass Boston 3-0 in straight sets by scores of 25-8, 25-17, 26-24 in the opening round of the 2021 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament held in Rockwell Cage on the campus of MIT.

THE BASICS

UMass Boston 0, Haverford College 3

UMass Boston (14-13)
Haverford College (24-5)

HOW IT HAPPENED

With the win, Haverford advanced to the semifinal round of the Cambridge regional to meet the winner of host MIT and Eastern Nazarene at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

UMass Boston finished its season with a 14-13 record after winning its 10th Little East Conference title in the last 12 years and making its 10th NCAA Tournament appearance.

Senior outside hitter Dina Kosyagin led the Fords with a match-high 11 kills with a .348 attacking percentage. The Centennial Conference First Team selection helped pace Haverford to a .338 team attack percentage.

Haverford, making its sixth overall NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2014, came out of the gates with an 25-8 victory in the opening set. 

Freshman defensive specialist Tea Kuzbari had three service aces during a 7-0 run early in the opening set to help the Fords pull away early. The Fords hit .611 as a team in the opening set with just one attack error. 

After being tied 7-7 in the second set, Kosyagin put the Fords ahead with a kill that sparked an 8-1 run for Haverford.

UMass Boston took its first lead of the match to open the third set off an attack error and then battled the Fords throughout the eventual deciding set. With the score tied 24-24, Haverford capitalized on an attack error and then a service ace by Elena Filograna to seal the 26-24 victory.

The Beacons were led by Little East Conference First Team selection Marcelle Tiscareno (El Paso, Texas), who had eight kills and a .350 attack percentage to lead the team in both categories.

Sophomore Livia Trindade (Sao Luis, Maranhao, Brazil) had seven kills. Little East Tournament MVP Carsen Komminsk (Worthington, Ohio) paced the Beacons offense with 20 assists in the match. 

Haverford sophomore right-side Abby Holland had seven kills and a .583 attack percentage, while senior setter Sara Hunsberger had five kills and a .667 attack percentage.

Hunsberger paced the Haverford offense with 28 assists (9.33 assists per set). Haverford freshman defensive specialist Juliet Young had 15 digs to lead the Fords' defense.

As a team, Haverford led statically in kills (36-25), assists (35-22), aces (9-4) and digs (40-33). 

BY THE NUMBERS

• UMass Boston was making their 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament all since 2009
• Friday's match marked the final in the careers of Komminsk, Emilia Czapiewska (St. Paul, Minn.), Kelsey Pereira (Acushnet, Mass.), and Tiscareno
• The Beacons are now 0-3 all-time against Haverford College
• Friday's contest marked the first meeting between the Beacons and Fords in NCAA Tournament play
• The Beacons won their 10th LEC title in program history with a 3-2 win over Eastern Connecticut State University
• Tiscareno was named a First Team All-LEC honoree, while Czapiewska and Komminsk earned Second Team honors