Volleyball begins tournament play with successful weekend

Some of the best volleyball teams in New England converged at Connecticut College last weekend for what is known in the volleyball world as a NESCAC weekend. The Jumbos emerged from the fracas with two wins and one loss to in pivotal conference play.

Each conference game is crucial, as it determines the seeding for the NESCAC conference tournament at the end of the season.

Tufts defeated the host team, Connecticut College, Friday night by a score of 3-0. The Jumbos then woke up early Saturday morning to play a tough game against perennial powerhouse Trinity.

By the third game the team was fatigued both mentally and physically against Wesleyan and it showed. Wesleyan was too much for the Jumbos, as they went down in straight sets.

After two tough games, the team was not ready to face Wesleyan, coach Cora Thompson said.

"We had already played a lot of volleyball, and we only had 20 minutes to recover from the Trinity game before the Wesleyan game started. We just didn't have as much spark," Thompson said.

Regardless, Thompson believes that given another chance the Jumbos have the talent to beat the defending NESCAC champions. With a 3-0 loss to Amherst last weekend, it looks like Wesleyan will have a tough road trying to repeat their championship run this year.

"Wesleyan is not the same team as last year. They are still very good, but I believe we are good enough to beat them," Thompson said.

Tufts started out slowly in their game against Connecticut College, almost dropping the first set before staving off Connecticut for a 30-27 victory. The Jumbos increased their margin of victory in each of the subsequent sets.

Junior Amy Cronin led the Jumbo attack with 12 kills, and the freshman combo of April Gerry and Courtney Evans each added nine kills. The team also notched nine service aces.

The Jumbos were plagued by the same slow start against Trinity, but it proved more costly this time around. Playing a better opponent in this match, Tufts dropped the first two sets, 27-30 and 18-30 respectively. But they managed to rebound, stunning Trinity by taking the final three sets; 30-21, 30-21, and 15-10.

The Jumbos relied on their star, Cronin, during their comeback and she did not disappoint. She totaled season highs in kills and service aces, notching 15 and six respectively.

"I want to be one of the dominant players in the league," Cronin said.

The team also responded well to being down in such a hole. The freshman duo of Gerry and Evans again proving crucial, as each scored three service aces. On the defensive side, senior Paulette Pacheco and Cronin each recorded 12 digs.

As a result of the marathon match against Trinity, Tufts had less than a half an hour before they had to face Wesleyan. They dropped three straight sets, never fully recovering from the previous grueling 5-match game. But the Jumbos got increasingly closer in each match, losing 30-22, 30-23, and 30-26. Junior Lindsay Moses had a strong game, providing 35 assists for the team. Cronin and Evans led the team with 12 and 9 kills respectively, and sophomore Ali Sauer led the team with two service aces. Defensively Pacheco made 16 digs.

The squad will next be seen in action this weekend at the Amherst Invitational, where they might have the opportunity of playing the likes of Middlebury, host Amherst, and MIT. The Jumbos would love another shot at MIT, who they lost to in their first game of the season, 3-0.

In a NESCAC weekend, each team plays three games within twenty-four hours. It is a great way for fans to see the wide array of talented volleyball squads in New England at once. Tufts will hold itsown NESCAC weekend Oct. 11 and 12.

The Jumbos' home opener is next week against Endicott on Wednesday at 7 p.m.