Nov. 4, 2005

Top Seed: Johns Hopkins "Blue Jays"
Head Coach: Scott Pennewill (Slippery Rock '83)
2005 Overall Record: 23-5
2005 Centennial Conference Record: 9-1
All-Time Centennial Tournament Record: 3-7
2005 Record Against Tournament Teams: 2-1

A first: Entering the Centennial Tournament as the top seed for the first time, the Blue Jays cruised to the regular season title by winning nine straight conference matches. The only slip-up along the way was to eight-time defending champion Gettysburg, who threw the Blue Jays for a loss to lead off the conference season. However, Hopkins has wins against the remaining teams in the field, knocking off Haverford 3-2 on Oct. 15 and beating F&M 3-1 on Oct. 8.
Home court advantage: Home court has been a big contributor to the success of the Blue Jays, who have posted a 14-0 record at Goldfarb Gym this season. Overall, the win streak has grown to 21 in a row, dating back to Oct. 12, 2004.
Top perfomers: Leading the way for the Blue Jays are three first team all-conference picks, including Centennial Player of the Year Katie O'Callaghan. O'Callaghan has been one of the top all-around players in the league, racking up a team-high 15 double-doubles (kills-digs) this season. Other first team selections include Jen Hajj, who leads the league in hitting percentage at .364, and Lizzie Kay, one of the top defensive specialists in Division III and among the top 10 in the nation in digs throughout the season.

Second Seed: Gettysburg "Bullets"
Head Coach: Alexa Kleckler (Trevecca Nazarene '00)
2005 Overall Record: 18-12
2005 Centennial Conference Record: 8-2
All-Time Centennial Tournament Record: 12-1 (Eight Championships)
2005 Record Against Tournament Teams: 2-1

Getting defensive: Centennial Conference Champions eight times, the Bullets look to defend their title once again in 2005. With an 8-2 Centennial record, Gettysburg won six of 10 conference matches by shutout. The only blemishes on the Bullets' record are 3-2 losses to McDaniel and Franklin & Marshall. In the semifinal game on Saturday, Gettysburg will face third-seeded Haverford, a team they defeated in five games on Oct. 1.
Prepared: Among Centennial Conference teams, Gettysburg played one of the league's toughest non-conference schedules: facing four teams during 2005 that have been in the AVCA Coaches' Top 25, seven regionally ranked teams, and Division II Shippensburg.
Top perfomers: Three all-conference selections lead the Bullets into the Centennial Tournament. Shannan Smith, a first team selection for the third time in her career, comes into the tournament with 10.54 assists per game, and over 4,000 for her career. Smith's numbers have been solid all around, with 53 aces, 93 kills and 291 digs. Second team selections include Erica Rau, sixth in the conference in blocks per game (0.79) and hitting percentage (.278), and Steph Vial, fourth in the league with 5.03 digs per game.

Third Seed: Haverford "Fords"
Head Coach: Amy Bergin (Bethany W.Va. '99)
2005 Overall Record: 18-8
2005 Centennial Conference Record: 8-2
All-Time Centennial Tournament Record: 1-5
2005 Record Against Tournament Teams: 1-3

Recent outings: The Fords enter the tournament as the third seed, with wins in six of their last seven matches, suffering only a loss at the hands of top seed Johns Hopkins, 3-1. Haverford enters the tournament with a 1-3 mark against the field, picking up a five game win at home against F&M on Sept. 22.
Six in a row: Haverford clinched a spot in the Centennial Conference Tournament for the sixth time in a row, looking for its first berth in the title game. To get there, the Fords will have to knock off second-seeded Gettysburg, who took down Haverford in five games on Oct. 1. Haverford is 1-6 against the Bullets since 2001, last beating the defending conference champions in five games during the 2002 season.
Top performers: Haverford placed two players on the All-Centennial team, with middle hitter Heidi Jutsum checking in on the first team. Jutsum is second in the conference with a .324 hitting percentage. Outside hitter Nina Mullenhard earned her second straight all-conference team selection, taking a spot on the second team. Mullenhard is second on the team with 317 digs and a .233 hitting percentage.

Fourth Seed: Franklin & Marshall "Diplomats"
Head Coach: Mary Kate Boland (F&M '01)
2005 Overall Record: 19-8
2005 Centennial Conference Record: 8-2
All-Time Centennial Tournament Record: 5-5 (Four Championships)
2005 Record Against Tournament Teams: 2-2

One and in: The Diplomats advanced to the Centennial Final Four on the strength of a five-game victory over Swarthmore on Wednesday, Nov. 2. In a tight match, the Diplomats had Swarthmore on the brink of elimination, 2-1, but the Garnet Tide rallied with a 30-28 win in game four, to force the decisive game. F&M took the final stanza 15-10, advancing to Baltimore for Saturday's action.
Down the stretch: In its last 10 matches, F&M is 6-4, dropping four in a row before coming back with six straight wins. However, those four losses come in arguably the most difficult tournament any Centennial team has participated in: the Juniata Tournament on Oct. 22-23. During that stretch of four matches, the Diplomats faced a gauntlet that included ranked opponents NYU, Eastern and second-ranked Juniata. F&M has seven wins in its last eight Centennial matches, including a 3-2 win over Gettysburg and a 3-1 loss to Johns Hopkins.
Top performers: F&M placed four on the All-Centennial Conference team, including Margot Phelan, who became the first frosh to earn first team honors since 2002. Phelan has spent much of the season among the top 15 in D-III in kills per game. Setter Jackie Skibbie and middle hitter Susan Taylor received second team honors, while libero Megan Godorov was an honorable mention performer, earning her third straight all-conference selection.

2005 Centennial Conference Volleyball Tournament Schedule

Saturday, Nov. 5
#3 Haverford vs. #2 Gettysburg, Noon
#4 Franklin & Marshall vs. #1 Johns Hopkins, 2:30 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 6
2/3 Winner vs. 1/4 Winner, 1 p.m.