Box Score

HAVERFORD, Pa. – A 3-0 loss to Franklin & Marshall College on Sept. 30 helped spark a turn-around by the Gettysburg College volleyball team this fall, culminating in a 3-1 decision over the same Diplomats in the semifinals of the Centennial Conference Tournament hosted by Haverford College Saturday afternoon. The Bullets will now meet the host Fords for the conference championship on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m.

In what seems like a different time and place, Gettysburg (19-8) was handled by Franklin & Marshall (23-6) 25-23, 25-17, and 25-20 in the teams' first meeting over a month ago. Since that affair, the Bullets have won eight of nine contests including downing the Dips 25-20, 25-27, 25-20, and 25-15 on Saturday.

Gettysburg established the tone early in the first set, jumping out to an 8-3 lead following a kill by junior Kate Yoder (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) and holding the advantage for the remainder of that contest. Franklin & Marshall bounced back in set two to take an early five-point lead (14-9), but the Bullets charged right back to take a three-point lead at 23-20. A timeout quieted the Gettysburg run, allowing the Diplomats to tally the next three points. An exchange of points followed until a Bullet hitting error and a kill by Nicole Morano sealed the two-point win by F&M.

All the fight seemed pulled from the Diplomats in the final two frames as Gettysburg jumped out to substantial leads in both. In the third set, the Bullets led by as many as 10 (21-11) and the squad equaled that lead in the final contest on the match-clinching point as Yoder and senior setter Amanda Krampf (Gaithersburg, Md./Gaithersburg) teamed up for an emphatic block.

Gettysburg's glaring advantages came on serves and net defense. The Bullets poured in a season-high tying 17 aces and notched a season high with a dozen team blocks. The Diplomats put down more kills (48) than the Bullets (42), but the Orange & Blue were much more efficient with an attack percentage of .234.

Senior Kristina Mercier (Baltimore, Md./Mount de Sales Academy) and junior Nicole Burns (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro) paced Gettysburg's attack with 10 kills apiece and Yoder and senior Stephanie Rickabaugh (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) each turned in eight kills. Mercier and Yoder were the team leaders on net defense, the former totaling four blocks and the latter putting up six stops.

On service, Yoder recorded a team-best five aces with Rickabaugh adding four and Krampf and sophomore Virginia Hogan (Alpharetta, Ga./Chattahoochee) each turning in three. Krampf dished out 36 assists and put up eight digs, while senior libero Kristin Kotewicz (Columbia, Md./River Hill) led the defensive effort with 14 digs.

Morano led Franklin & Marshall with a match-high 16 kills and Candice Tussing added 11. Pam Horner passed out a match-high 45 assists and totaled a dozen digs, while Katy May put up 15 digs.

Gettysburg meets an all-too familiar opponent in the CC Tournament in the form of 25th-ranked Haverford (28-3), which beat Swarthmore College 3-1 in the day's other semifinal. Sunday's match marks the ninth-consecutive season the two rivals have met in the conference playoffs and the second-straight meeting for the conference title. The Fords have won the last three match ups with the Bullets in the CC Tournament, including a 3-1 decision in the championship match last fall.