When the volleyball team failed to beat the Colby Mules in the NESCAC Championship on Sunday afternoon, the players faced the possibility that their season was over. Later that night, the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee gave them a second chance.
At about 11 p.m. on Sunday night the Div. III NCAA New England Representative at Plymouth State called coach Cora Thompson and gave her the good news.The Jumbos were awarded an at-large bid to the tournament. The team will make its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1996, when Thompson was a sophomore on the team. Thompson then called her captains and the news spread rapidly through instant messaging.
"I'm really excited," senior co-captain April Gerry said. "Being a senior, I'm so glad to have this opportunity, especially with these girls. It's been a great season."
After a 27-6 regular season where the Jumbos knocked off two top-25 teams, Tufts, having spent much of the season ranked No. 2 in New England, was awarded the same seed in the region, behind Colby. Tonight the Jumbos will open tournament play with a 6 p.m. match-up against Emmanuel.
The two teams played in the opening match of the Tufts Invitational, where the Jumbos coasted by the Saints for a 3-0 victory. Tufts won each game easily, beating the Saints 30-20, 30-11 and 30-22. That match triggered a 10-match losing streak for the Saints, who recovered to finish the season 20-17 and win the GNAC.
"They run a slow offense and they're definitely not as good as some of the NESCAC teams we've played," Gerry said. "That's good for us, but sometimes those are the teams that lull us to sleep. Hopefully, we'll be on top of our game."
Given the win-or-go-home scenario, Thompson is warning her team not to underestimate Emmanuel.
"We beat them pretty handily the first time," freshman Kaitlin O'Reilly said. "But [Thompson] is emphasizing that we can't take them lightly. We have to expect a tough match."
The Jumbos received more good news this week, as O'Reilly was named an All-New England Team member and New England Freshman of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Classmate Natalie Goldstein received an honorable mention.
If the Jumbos can take care of the Saints, they will take on the winner of the match between Colby-Sawyer and Smith. After entering their conference tournament with a 20-6 record as the fourth seed, the Pioneers caught fire and emerged with the third seed in New England.
The Pioneers opened up the NEWMAC Tournament with a victory over Wellesley before earning a 3-0 victory over top-seeded MIT, who earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
In the championship match, Smith beat Coast Guard 3-0. Coast Guard has beaten the Jumbos the past three years.
"Smith is on fire right now and we need to respect the fact that they are finding ways to win against many New England powerhouses," Thompson said. "We have a solid game plan for Smith and will be ready for them if and when we earn a second match."
If the Jumbos advance and Colby-Sawyer upsets Smith, the Jumbos will face a team with tournament experience. The Chargers are making their third trip to the tournament and were participants in the 2003 Tournament, advancing to the second round.
The Jumbos have no tournament experience, but that does not concern Thompson.
"The goal is to win it," Thompson said. "I don't think that lack of experience means anything. We have seen all of these teams before. We have played five matches this year in the Colby gym and we are confident that we will be able to focus on our game and nothing else."
The Jumbos do have some experience in traveling to highly competitive tournaments, having made a trip to Emory to compete in the Emory National Invitational.
"I think having gone to Emory will be really helpful because we know what we're up against," Gerry said.
If the Jumbos can make it to the regional championship, they could have a rematch with Colby, the top seed and regional host. The Jumbos have played Colby twice this season and have lost 3-0 both times, including in last weekend's NESCAC Championship.
The first time the Mules beat the Jumbos was in the NESCAC opener. Tufts was fresh off an upset of top-25 rival Williams and came into the match with too much confidence, according to the players and coach. Last weekend, the Jumbos lost the three games by a total of just eight points.
"They're obviously a good team," Gerry said. "But we definitely have a chance to beat them. It could go either way."
The Jumbos do not feel their two losses to Colby give the Mules an advantage.
"Colby's going to underestimate us," O'Reilly said. "They played us twice and beat us in three both times. We're going to be even stronger this time."
The Jumbos will be much stronger largely in part to the return of junior outside hitter Kelli Harrison, who has been out for the last three and a half weeks with a concussion. Harrison was cleared to practice on Wednesday, but given her time off, it's unlikely that she will start this weekend. Nonetheless, the boost provided by Harrison's presence could be what propels the Jumbos through the weekend.
Harrison is just one member of what Thompson calls the most talented team to play at Tufts, including her own 1996 team that made it to the tournament. This weekend, the team will need to translate that talent into wins.
"I think everyone realizes this is our last chance," O'Reilly said. "There is no second chance here. You don't get a bid to [the quarterfinals in] Virginia. We just have to put it all out on the court and play our hardest."
