The volleyball team completed a two-game sweep of conference opponents Bates and Colby in the second NESCAC weekend of the season. With the wins, its fourth straight and ninth in their last 10 games, the Jumbos moved to 4-2 in league play.
The Jumbos cruised through the weekend undefeated in individual games, sweeping both teams 3-0 and finally displaying the level of play and steady approach coach Cora Thompson has been looking for all year.
"When you are the strongest
team going into a match, it's so important to be consistent," Thompson said. "I was really proud of them for doing that. We felt that sense of urgency to get the job done, and they did a great job of it."
The win against Colby was especially sweet for the Jumbos, who lost three times to the Mules last season - 3-0 in the regular season, 3-0 in the NESCAC Tournament, and 3-0 in the NCAA Sweet 16. Although Colby lost five seniors from last year's team and has since dramatically revamped its squad, the win was still a satisfying one for the Jumbos.
"It's always great to beat a team that has consistently beaten you," Thompson said. "Colby's a different team now, but it's still a good feeling."
While some of the individual games proved to be close, Tufts clearly had control of overall play on the court. The team was able to maintain the momentum of each game with ease.
"Our goal for the weekend was to play at our tempo," said sophomore Stacy Filocco, who had four kills in two games against Colby. "We were relatively successful, and that's why we won both games."
With the two NESCAC wins, Tufts improved to 17-5 overall and 4-2 in conference play, keeping post-season hopes alive. While a regular-season title is unlikely, if not impossible, as Williams sits atop the conference at 7-0 with just four league matches left to play, the Jumbos are setting themselves up for a good seeding in the NESCAC Tournament. Following a devastating NESCAC loss to Amherst last weekend, the team has bounced back quickly.
"NESCAC games are always important," Filocco said. "It's really great for us to win two NESCAC matches. It's a great boost going into the meat of our season."
"We definitely feel better going into the rest of the games," added sophomore Kate Denniston, who had 15 kills in the two games. "We're more confident for the harder teams."
Senior co-captain Kelli Harrison and junior Katie Wysham turned in the usually strong offensive performances that have become the norm this season. Harrison had 32 total kills in the two games while Wysham contributed 17.
Harrison has demonstrated her leadership as a player and captain all season, much to the satisfaction of her teammates and coach. Heading into the games, Harrison stressed that the team would not be happy with anything but a perfect weekend, and the senior played a major role in ensuring the outcome.
"Kelli did a great job," Thompson said. "She really was the rock of the team this weekend."
Sophomore Natalie Goldstein (30 digs), senior co-captain Dana Fleisher (17), and sophomore Maya Ripecky (16) carried the team defensively over the weekend. Ripecky has become one of the Jumbos' most powerful defensive assets in the Jumbos' recent stretch. With 20 or more digs in each of the three games - all Tufts wins - leading up to this weekend, she has anchored the Tufts back line and come up with key digs to keep the ball in the air and the Jumbos' offensive game plan rolling.
"Maya's ball control is just excellent," Thompson said. "When a ball comes over the net, she's very good at putting up a nice ball for a setter. It's really great to have a player like her."
As the Jumbos head into a key portion of their season, they will need to not just continue their own strong play, but may need some help from the NESCAC leaderboard. Williams is perfect in the league at 17-0 (18-4 overall), and Amherst, despite one NESCAC loss, may be even deadlier at 19-1 overall. One of those wins was a 3-2 victory over Tufts on Oct. 7. In the coming weeks, Tufts is hoping for a combination of wins coupled with Amherst and Williams losses.
The Jumbos are unlikely to have a legitimate shot at a NESCAC title without running the table in their remaining league games. They will get their first chance when they travel to Conn. College on Tuesday night, seeking their fourth straight NESCAC win.
"There are still a lot of things that need to happen," Thompson said. "I fully expect us to win the rest of our NESCAC matches. We need to get a good seed in the tournament, and I absolutely believe we can win a NESCAC title, too."
