All season, coach Cora Thompson has emphasized the depth of a roster that was expanded this season to 14 players. With junior leading hitter Kelli Harrison forced to the bench with a concussion, that depth was on display this weekend, as the team defeated conference rivals Amherst and Middlebury.
Thompson utilized several different combinations of players as the Jumbos hung on against Amherst on Saturday for a 3-1 victory and then cruised past Middlebury 3-0 the next day to move into second place in the NESCAC at 6-1 and 19-3 overall.
Tufts and Middlebury entered Sunday's match-up tied for second in the NESCAC with a single loss. The Jumbos distanced themselves from the Panthers, however, winning the first two games 30-17 and then coming from behind to win the third game 31-29.
"This game was good," Thompson said. "I think we came out a little bit flat, but we picked it up there at the end."
The Jumbos came out firing in the first two games. With the squad holding a slim 10-8 lead in the first game, freshman Caitlin Dealy handled a low set from classmate Maya Ripecky and deftly sent a lob into the back left corner. The point triggered a 20-9 run that ended with six straight Tufts points to close the game.
After quickly falling behind 6-3 in the second game, Tufts cleaned up its play and stormed to a 30-17 win.
After controlling the first two games, Tufts appeared to be in control of the match. The Panthers did not give up, however, giving the Jumbos a run for their money in the final game. After starting the match 9-9, the Panthers capitalized on some sloppy play by the Jumbos to grab a 13-9 advantage. Tufts crawled back into the match but was never able to take a big enough lead to put Middlebury away. The game went back and forth and the two teams found themselves tied at 29.
With control of the match on the line, both teams fought hard for the next point. After a couple of impressive digs by Ripecky, senior co-captain April Gerry spiked a Middlebury hit to give the Jumbos the 30-29 lead. On the next play, Dealy earned a kill to close the match.
"It was a good win," Thompson said. "Middlebury's the type of team who can come back so [it's great] to be able to put them away, especially when they come back and play at the end like that. They are a good team. They're very scrappy. They have a refuse-to-lose attitude."
But the Panthers were not the only team with that attitude.
"One of the great things about our team is that we can turn it on when we have to and come back," Gerry said.
Thompson also attributed the win to the leadership of her seniors. Senior co-captain Courtney Evans and Gerry combined to record 14 kills, along with three blocks and four block assists.
The left-handed Dealy led the way for Tufts with 14 kills, two aces and also contributed defensively with a block and two block assists.
"She's done such a good job," Thompson said. "She's not necessarily a flashy player. She doesn't necessarily crush the ball, but she's very smart and consistent. That's what we're striving for - consistency. She's a great passer and a very smart hitter."
The win came on the heels of a 3-1 victory over Amherst on Saturday afternoon. Just as they did on Sunday, the Jumbos came out and won the first two games before struggling in the third. This time though, the squad could not pull out that third game and had to take the match in four.
"We blew through them in the first two and took control of the match, but then we let up," Thompson said. "That's still something we're working on."
After pouncing on the Lord Jeffs 30-24 and 30-27, the Jumbos let a 30-28 game slip away. They recovered in the fourth game, however, pulling out a 30-24 victory.
While Dealy would step in and lead the attack in Harrison's place on Sunday, it was junior Dana Fleisher picking up the slack on Saturday. Fleisher was big on both offense and defense, recording 18 kills and 19 digs.
"[Fleisher] played unbelievable," Thompson said. "Amherst has always had a really tough time figuring her out. She's always been very effective against them. That's definitely why we played her against Amherst."
The match marked the first time since October of 2003 that a Tufts-Amherst match has been decided in fewer than five games. The previous three matches, most recently the semifinals of the NESCAC Tournament last year, had required the full five to determine a winner.
The match also featured an intriguing matchup between two freshman setters. While the Jeffs are 12-7 and 3-3 in the NESCAC this year with freshman setter Sara Heller, the Jumbos have thrived with first-year Kaitlin O'Reilly leading the attack. O'Reilly piled up 52 assists in the win.
With the wins over Amherst and Middlebury, the Jumbos moved into second place in the NESCAC, trailing only Colby. Having completed its home schedule for the year, the Jumbos will now travel to Brandeis tonight before heading down to Georgia to compete in the Emory National Invitational this weekend to close out their non-conference schedule.
The squad is hoping for the return of Harrison, who sustained a concussion in practice on Friday, for the trip south.
"Going down south is going to be interesting," Thompson said. "We're going to try to go down there and represent New England. A lot of teams in New England are behind us and I've heard that from a lot of coaches. Hopefully, we'll stay healthy and play well, but it's definitely going to be a challenge at this point in the season."
