The women's volleyball team defeated the MIT Engineers (3-1) on Thursday for the first time since 1997. The victory also marked the first time the team has won 20 games in a season since going 20-15 in 1998.
Tufts finished the regular season 20-11, ranked fourth in the NESCAC (7-3). Although the team's goals for the season were to finish with 20 wins and place third in NESCAC, players were not disappointed with the fourth place finish. "I am actually happy where we are," coach Kris Talon said.
"It was disappointing to lose to Wesleyan and Colby over the season because I knew we could beat them," she said. "We had an opportunity to be 9-1 and we didn't capture it."
Tufts had lost to MIT twice this season, so Wednesday's victory against the Engineers (28-7) was much-needed for players looking to prove that Tufts was the better team. Tufts won in four (30-26, 30-28, 21-30, 30-14), but its success may have come because MIT lacked two of its best players - one from injury and another for personal reasons.
"MIT was without a couple of its greatest players," coach Talon said. "They are a very short team. We played better and benefited from the height advantage, but it would have been better to beat MIT while they were at full strength."
"We knew they were playing without two key players, but I still think we outplayed them," freshman Carie Fowler said. "We were working really well together in practice and it showed on the court. We are a close team that feels comfortable playing together."
Tufts was also handicapped entering the game. Co-captains Jess Stewart and Megan Pitcavage were suffering from the flu and did not practice in the week leading to the match. This may have affected Stewart's attacking game, but didn't seem to hurt Pitcavage's play. Stewart recorded 15 kills, half the team's attacking errors (4), and a disappointing .135 attacking percentage. But Pitcavage pummeled the ball with eight kills, no attacking errors, and a .362 attacking percentage.
The Jumbos ended the regular season on a strong note and players say they ready to carry that momentum into the postseason. This weekend, the Jumbos will compete in the NESCAC Championships at Middlebury, a single elimination tournament. "There is no room for let downs," Talon said.
At 8 p.m. tomorrow night, the squad begins its postseason play against Bates, a team Tufts has not lost to since September of 2000. This season, the teams squared off in the second round of a NESCAC weekend and the Jumbos came out with one win in five games. The match saw a lot of back and forth action, but Tufts took the final game 15-10. In the contest, Stewart paced the team with 22 kills, two service aces, and 18 digs.
"We have a much more well rounded team," Talon said. "They have an inexperienced setter, as do we. But we have a much stronger middle, both offensively and defensively. So we will go after their weakness from the beginning."
Tufts expects to play with a healthy squad, as there are no reports of injury or illness among its players. "This is my first trip to the Championship," freshman setter Rebecca Schaevitz said. "I am more excited than nervous. As long as we keep our energy up, we will have no problem defeating them. But, they are a team that will come and get us if we let ourselves go down."
If the Jumbos are able to pull out a win, they will play the winner of Wesleyan-Middlebury on Saturday in the Semifinals. The Championship round will be held late Saturday, with the winner advancing to Nationals.
