With five freshmen making their Tufts debut, the 2004 volleyball team expected to see some new faces in new places as it opened its season at the Coast Guard Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 11.
But nobody expected to see senior co-captain Emily Macy play the third match of the tournament at setter, a position she had never played in the past.
The team was already without senior starting setter Rebecca Schaevitz due to family matters, when it lost freshman setter Megan Tunstill to a concussion she sustained diving for a loose ball in the team's second match. The Jumbos were forced to turn to Macy.
"I guess [head coach Cora Thompson] chose me to play setter because I have the hands and general volleyball knowledge to play the position," Macy said. "The team helped me out a lot, staying consistent with its play and being very loud in communicating."
Macy responded well to Thompson's decision, recording 41 assists out of 111 attempts in the team's 3-1 victory over Rhode Island College.
"We got the job done. We came out with the win. I don't think it would be beneficial to the team for me to stay at [setter], but we got the win and that's what's important," Macy said.
The team went 2-1 on the tournament defeating Eastern Connecticut, 3-0, in the opening match before falling, 3-1, to Coast Guard. They finished strong in the final match with the win over Rhode Island.
Despite posting a winning record, the team was not content with earning a second place finish at the tournament.
"We're definitely not satisfied with losing to Coast Guard. We have beaten them in the past," Macy said. "We had the ability to beat them this time."
The Jumbos opened their second match of the day against Coast Guard with a 32-30 victory in the first game. They failed to hold on to the lead, however, falling 30-22, 30-14 and 30-14 in the final three games.
Sophomore Kelli Harrison led the lagging Jumbos in the match with 11 kills, 20 digs and two solo blocks. Senior co-captain Ali Sauer aided in the losing effort with 10 kills.
Despite the loss, Thompson remains optimistic about the effects of the tournament.
"We saw what we're capable and saw a lot of raw talent," Thompson said. "We really need to fine tune, but this will be a top team."
The Jumbos started the day with a fast start. They jumped out to a 30-9 victory in their first game of the opening match against Eastern Connecticut. The team completed the sweep, winning the next two games 30-23 and 30-26, respectively.
Harrison led the attack with 11 kills with one error and 18 digs. Macy added 10 kills with one error and ten digs. She also recorded two service aces. Tunstill recorded 31 assists and three aces in her first collegiate match.
"With the senior setter out, I was thrown into the action a lot sooner than I thought I would be," Tunstill said.
Thompson did not hesitate to play her freshmen, putting Tunstill and fellow first year Stephanie Viola on the court from the very beginning.
"It can be nerve racking, but we threw them both right in there and they did a great job," Thompson said.
Thompson hoped to use this tournament as an opportunity to help the freshmen acclimate to the collegiate game.
"They have the skill. They have the talent. It's just a matter of getting them on the court and getting them comfortable with the team around," Thompson said. "I think we did that this weekend."
Thompson recognizes that the freshmen will have to contribute for the Jumbos to have a successful season. The players don't think this will be a problem after seeing their rookies in action last weekend.
"I don't think age has a lot to do with it. These girls are picked because they are good and because of what they can do for the team. They are all capable of playing hard and competing in the NESCAC," Harrison said.
Freshman Kay Lutostanski contributed to the team's final match of the tournament with seven kills, eight digs, four aces and three solo blocks. Junior April Gerry also added three solo blocks while Harrison contributed 13 kills and junior Courtney Evans served six aces in the Jumbos' 3-1 victory over Rhode Island College.
The team opens up NESCAC play this weekend at home in tournament play with Connecticut College, Trinity and Wesleyan. The players' more immediate focus, however, will turn to its match against MIT today.
"We try to go one game at a time," Macy said. "MIT really has a good defensive team and always has a top ranked team in New England."
