Former co-captain and 2005 graduate Emily Macy returned to Cousens Gym Tuesday night - as an assistant coach for Connecticut College. Other than that, the volleyball team proved that it was business as usual between the two teams as it defeated the Camels 3-0 for the fifth straight year.
Even though the Jumbos made several errors on their side of the net and faced a much-improved Connecticut team, the team was able to come from behind in the third game to win the match without dropping a game.
"We didn't play all that well together as a team," junior Dana Fleisher admitted. "But in the end we were able to take care of business."
After two nearly identical games in which the Jumbos jumped out to a sizable lead and then let the Camels creep back before closing out the victory, the Jumbos allowed three straight Connecticut points to cough up the lead in game three.
With her team trailing 26-24, coach Cora Thompson, upset with the team's string of errors, called a timeout in frustration.
"I was just disappointed in our play," Thompson said. "We were starting to flail around out there, playing out of our system. I just wanted them to relax and take care of our side of the net."
Connecticut had scored eight of its last nine points on Tufts unforced errors and appeared to be on its way to taking its first game from Tufts since 2000.
"The good news when you're giving away eight of their last nine points is you're controlling the game," Thompson said. "So, I just made them aware that they were controlling their own loss."
The team responded to Thompson's talk by scoring three consecutive points to retake the lead. Then, after a Harrison service error and a ball that skidded across the net before landing at freshman Caitlin Dealy's feet, the Jumbos rebounded to score three straight points to close out the match.
According to Thompson, the key to the Jumbo comeback was a focus on the fundamentals.
"[During the timeout], I told them to play basic volleyball," the coach said. "We were flailing and doing things too fancily. I just told them to play basic volleyball."
In a game as close as that one, the Jumbos had no room to get cute. The game was tight from start to finish as neither team took a lead greater than two points in the entire game.
That was a change from the first and second games in which both teams were able to make big runs. In the first game, the Jumbos jumped out to a 13-6 lead that they would extend to 23-14 on a Harrison kill. A pair of service errors by sophomore Katie Wysham and Harrison allowed the Camels to close the gap to 26-21. Fleisher was able to bail the team out with a well-placed lob to the back corner, a block and then a hard spike, all in the span of four plays, to allow the Jumbos to win the match 30-23.
"Dana is a great passer and certainly a strong hitter," Thompson said. "I thought she did a great job finding the holes tonight. She did a fantastic job listening to her teammates out there. She also had some good serves."
Fleisher had 16 kills, three aces and 12 digs in the match. After playing in just eight games in the Jumbos' first 10 matches, Fleisher has come on to play a big role lately. She has played in 21 of the Jumbos' 34 games since the second day of the MIT Invitational.
"It helps just to play more and get more comfortable on the court and playing with the team," Fleisher said. "I guess it's easier to mesh with the team."
Fleisher played a big role in the second game of the match as well. Once again, the Jumbos were able to sprint out to a big lead in the second game, capturing an 18-9 lead in the match. When a Harrison tap made it 24-16 Jumbos, the game appeared to be in control. A service error by senior co-captain Courtney Evans opened the gates, however, for a 6-1 Camel run that cut the lead to 25-22.
The team committed seven service errors in the match, including a pair each by Evans, Harrison and Wysham.
The mistakes did not prove too costly, however, as the Jumbos collected themselves and went on to win the match 30-22, with two Fleisher spikes closing the case.
Harrison led the Tufts attack with 17 kills and freshman setter Katilin O'Reilly continued her strong play with a 3-game, 47-assist performance.
"We definitely weren't playing our best, but they definitely have gotten some good freshmen and have gotten a lot better than last year," Fleisher said of an improved Camels team who is 13-7, 4-3 in the NESCAC and has recorded a victory over Williams.
The Jumbos, who moved into a tie with Middlebury for second place in the NESCAC with the win, will play at Wheaton tonight before continuing their NESCAC season at home with matches against Amherst and Middlebury on Homecoming weekend.
