Since coming to Tufts in 2001, senior co-captain Emily Macy has played 318 games for the Jumbo volleyball team - more than any player in that time span.
On Tuesday night, however, she did not play in any of the squad's three games, as she was forced to the bench, dressed in street clothes due to an undisclosed medical issue.
It didn't seem to matter for the Jumbos, winners of their last six, as they mixed up their lineup in defeating Gordon College 3-0.
"[Macy is] definitely a great player, and we obviously missed her, but it helps because we weren't playing as strong of a team, and were able to get some other players out there," freshman Megan Tunstill said.
The Jumbos got off to a fast start, jumping out to a 21-8 lead. Gordon fought back, but could not close the gap to fewer than nine points, as Tufts took the first game 30-19.
In the second game, Tufts grabbed an 11-4 lead, but watched as this lead shrank to 12-9. At this point, the Jumbos recorded five straight points and eventually extended their lead to 27-12, before winning the game 30-17.
Gordon took a 4-1 lead in the third and final game, recording three key blocks. When Gordon scored the first point of this game, Tufts encountered its first deficit of the entire match.
The Jumbos battled back. Later in the game, with the score tied 12-12, sophomore Kelli Harrison served two aces in a row. Gordon stayed close, never falling behind by more than five points, but the Jumbos never trailed the rest of the way, winning the game 30-25.
Harrison led the way with 11 kills to go along with six service aces.
"One of the big goals for tonight was to get the younger players in there," coach Cora Thompson said. "We wanted to get them used to playing with the starters. With four games coming this weekend, we want all the freshmen to have court experience."
Thompson was very impressed with the play of sophomore Dana Fleisher and freshman Katie Wysham, as each got extended time on the court. While the two young players had only gotten into four games entering Tuesday's play, Thompson relied on both of them to help fill the hole left by Macy's absence.
Wysham pounded out seven kills while Fleisher added six. Neither of the young players made an error. Even seldom-used freshmen Cecilia Allende and Kay Lutostanski got onto the court.
"I think everyone played really well," Tunstill said. "Everyone stepped up. Sometimes, it's difficult to be thrown in there, but everyone did really well. Everyone was ready."
The freshmen's presence was needed as the Jumbos tried to overcome the loss of Macy's 1.96 kills and 3.88 digs per game. Macy hopes to return for this weekend's MIT Invitational, and the team will have some work to do before then. Despite the victory, Thompson was not entirely satisfied with the team's play, as the Jumbos made 12 service errors.
"No matter who you are on the court, there are certain skills you need," Thompson said. "Number one is serving. We missed a few tonight. That's not a team thing. That's 100 percent you behind that line."
Despite the team's service problems, Thompson was impressed with its passing.
The Jumbos' next challenge will be the MIT Invitational Tournament, held this Friday and Saturday.
The tournament, which is invitation only, includes 15 teams, some of them among the top teams in the nation. The American Volleyball Coaches Association currently lists New York University (NYU) as the number one Div. III team in the nation. It also lists Williams College at number 17.
The Jumbos will open play against Smith College at 6 p.m. on Friday at Cousens Gym. If they defeat Smith, they will then play the winner of a match between Springfield College and Vassar College.
If the Jumbos win those first two games, they could potentially meet number-one-ranked NYU.
"It's the most competitive tournament that we play in all year. It has the highest ranked teams. We're looking to go in and beat some higher ranked teams. That's our goal," Macy said.
Another possibility has the Jumbos playing Coast Guard in the final match of the tournament. Coast Guard is the only team to defeat the 7-1 (3-0 NESCAC) Jumbos so far this year.
"If we face Coast Guard again, that would be awesome because we'd love to have a chance to beat them," Tunstill said.
Thompson is concerned with the rigors of playing four games in two days against stiff competition. According to her, the team will take practices a little easier before the tournament to ensure that it will be fresh for the weekend.
