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BY TIMOTHY BERNSTEIN

In print | Published October 8, 2009

Three conference games. Three victories.

Facing a tough intra-conference challenger, the visiting Garnet pulled through for the third time this season, overcoming a tough first set and defeating McDaniel by a score of 3-1 (24-26, 25-16, 25-20). About 80 people were in attendance.

Adding a second honor this week, two-time Centennial Conference Performer of the Week Genny Pezzola ’12 continued to add to her impressive stats on both sides of the ball against McDaniel, garnering 23 kills and 15 digs. Leading the way in assists was Allie Coleman ’13 with 30, while Sarah Lambert ’11 added seven aces, including one on match point.

The Garnet improved to 13-5 overall. The 13 total wins, as well as the three conference wins, are the most the team has had in three seasons.

With the win, the Garnet is also building on their reputation as upset specialists. Ranked ninth in the pre-season poll, the victory over seventh-ranked Green Terror is their second over a higher-ranked opponent this year.

Swarthmore defeated Bryn Mawr (ranked No. 8 in the pre-season poll) on Sept. 24.

“We passed well, served well and we played to our strengths,” head coach Harleigh Chwastyk said following the match. “The most important thing was that we were able to execute our game plan.”

Swarthmore had all it could handle of the Green Terror in the tight first set, ultimately dropping it by a score of 26-24. The Garnet rebounded quickly to take the second set, with Lambert serving three aces to close it out.

The next two sets didn’t come as easily, but the Garnet carried its momentum to overcome a 22-24 deficit in the fourth set to seal the victory.

“We called a time-out at [22-24] in the fourth set and then got the next four points to win it,” Chwastyk said.

For the Green Terror, Taylor Herrgott and Sara Hanlon each had eight kills, and Kirsten Nuckles garnered 17 assists. On defense, McDaniel’s Anne McShea led both teams with 17 digs.

With the loss, McDaniel drops to 2-2 in conference play and 11-7 overall.

For Swarthmore, the victory is yet another step forward in what could be the Garnet’s first winning season in several years.

The past four years have seen the team with a combined 15-25 in conference play and 40-65 overall. Last season, with a 6-19 overall record and only two intra-conference wins, was an especially low point.

Yet, the same characteristics of this year’s team that its members cited following their victory in the Garnet Classic remain true one month later. They are strong on both offense and defense, they take advantage of opponents’ mistakes, and they consistently improve upon their performance in the previous match. There is also, of course, the goal of playing together as a team, an area in which the Garnet excel, even against the best in the conference.

“Our camaraderie,” Lambert said after that tournament, “is superior to that of other teams.”

The road to a championship, however, will soon become more difficult. The victory comes at the front end of a long stretch of conference play for the Garnet. Currently in the midst of a stretch of five straight conference games, there is more to come. Swarthmore will face nine conference teams in its final ten matches of the season.

“Our schedule is set up so that our non-conference play prepares us for the conference matches, but we’re just taking it one day at a time and one match at a time, and I think that’s good for the team,” Chwastyk said.

The campaign continues tonight at Tarble Pavilion as the Garnet faces Johns Hopkins (11-7, 0-2 CC) at 7 p.m. with hopes to avenge last year’s lopsided 3-0 defeat.

Meanwhile, all 11 Centennial Conference teams are once again joining forces this year in the “Digging For A Cure” campaign. Each team will collect donations to be given to the Living Beyond Breast Cancer charity before a pre-selected match.

Pledges to pay a certain amount for each dig recorded in the match are accepted. Swarthmore will be collecting donations and pledges before taking on Ursinus on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.

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