Just days after jumping to number three in the New England Volleyball Association poll, the volleyball team worked to stay on top in the rankings that really matter: the NESCAC standings.
Over the weekend, the Jumbos defeated Colby, Bowdoin and Bates to improve to 6-0 and remain in first place in the NESCAC. It was not an easy road however, as Tufts barely squeaked by Colby in the opening match of the weekend. After falling behind 2-1, the Jumbos came back and won the next two games to win the match.
It was a tough match for the team, as the Jumbos arrived at Colby only an hour before the first game. The team usually takes an hour and a half to get ready.
"I'm very proud of the team to pull it together mentally and physically," coach Cora Thompson said.
With the Jumbos already down 2-1 in the match, freshman setter Megan Tunstill was forced to leave the game on account of her nagging back injury. Senior setter Rebecca Schaevitz came in for the final two games and led the team to 30-24 and 15-8 victories.
Both setters spread the ball around as nearly every player entered the action, and eight different Jumbos recorded multiple kills. Junior April Gerry led the offense with ten kills and also had five blocks on defense.
The Jumbos were successful at the service line, recording 13 aces. According to Thompson, good serving and strong defense were key components in the Jumbos' perfect weekend.
The team did not play perfectly, however, as Thompson was not quite happy with the serve receive passing.
"One of the important things is when a major part of our game was lacking, another part would step up," Thompson said. "It says a lot getting the job done, but [we're] not putting all the pieces together quite yet."
Following the 3-2 victory over Colby, the Jumbos went on to take care of the Bowdoin Polar Bears winning 30-19, 30-21 and 30-23.
Again, Thompson mixed up the lineup, getting every player on the court except for Tunstill. Allende, who was the only player to sit out the first match, recorded six kills and four aces in the victory.
Freshman Kay Lutostanski, who has seen an increase in playing time recently, led the offense with ten kills. Lutostanski led the Jumbos with 26 kills over the three-match weekend. Senior co-captain Emily Macy and junior Kelli Harrison led the defense with ten and 11 digs, respectively.
The Jumbos closed out the weekend beating the Bates Bobcats 30-19, 30-21 and 30-23.
"After the first two [matches], that was when our team started to click, so it was a quick and easy third [match]," freshman Stephanie Viola said.
Junior Courtney Evans recorded ten kills against Bates. She was aided by nine kills apiece from Gerry and Lutostanski.
While Bates and Bowdoin are only 1-4 in the conference, the Jumbos did not underestimate their opposition.
"None of the NESCAC teams are going to [lie] down and be beaten," Viola said. "They're all improving. You can't take anything for granted."
Despite the Jumbos' 6-0 conference record, they are still in a four-way tie for first place. Amherst, Middlebury and Williams also boast perfect records. To win the conference, the Jumbos will have to beat these teams in head-to-head matches.
Their first chance will come on Saturday at Amherst.
"We need to beat Amherst this weekend," Thompson said. "It's a huge match-up. Huge."
In the midst of these important conference games, the team showed it cares about non-conference ones too, beating Swarthmore 30-21, 30-18 and 30-25 on Monday.
Because senior co-captain Ali Sauer had to miss the game for a job interview, the Jumbos tried a new lineup with Evans on the rights side and freshman Katie Wysham in the center.
"I'm very proud of them," Thompson said. "We had a very young team out there, with only two seniors, but we took care of business winning all three games."
The Jumbos have been beating everyone they play recently, having won ten in a row and running their overall record to 18-3. This hot streak factored into the team being named number three in New England behind Williams and Coast Guard. According to Thompson, this is the highest ranking in Tufts volleyball history.
"The number one thing is it's great getting respect in the region, but in terms of what it means for us, it means absolutely nothing," Thompson said. "Polls and rankings don't pass balls, and they don't play defense."
