Amherst's Hall of Fame Tournament brought together the top six teams in New England, promising a weekend of top-talent match-ups and heavy ranking implications. And despite falling in the tournament's title game, the Jumbos proved that they belong in the upper tier of Div. III New England volleyball.
After defeating Bridgewater State in the first round of the tournament, Tufts went on to play three of the top four teams in the region, and did not disappoint.
The Jumbos defeated No. 4 Springfield College 3-2 (24-30, 26-30, 30-20, 30-23, 15-6) in Springfield's home gym, and then swept third-ranked Williams in the tournament semifinal (30-25, 30-23, 30-21). They eventually fell short against second-ranked MIT in the championship game, losing 3-0 (30-19, 30-22, 30-24) in their third loss in four meetings with the Engineers this season.
"The team knew they had to be consistent," coach Cora Thompson said. "And I think that's what they did, with great passing, solid serving and good hitting."
Because it was played in a tournament, the Williams game does not count toward conference records, but the Ephs' loss to Tufts was still their first to a conference opponent this season which bodes well for the teams' upcoming head-to-head meeting on Saturday.
"[The win] feels great, since they're first in the NESCAC," sophomore Kaitlyn O'Reilly said. "In a way, I feel like we overcame an obstacle, but we still need to beat [Williams] this upcoming weekend. We have the confidence now to know we're capable of beating them in three."
Coming into the Hall of Fame championship game against MIT, the Jumbos were riding an eight-game winning streak. But momentum wasn't enough to overcome the Engineers, perhaps the premier team in New England this year.
Lack of consistency ultimately hurt the Jumbos, as they accumulated only 27 kills and 18 errors. Senior co-captain Kelli Harrison, an All-Tournament selection, led the team with nine kills, but even that total was far below her season average. Tufts had similar struggles in serving, adding only three aces against six service errors.
"We were playing two big giants [in Springfield and Williams], and to play a third giant, that's tough," Thompson said. "We did not play as well as we wanted to play. We came out a little bit flat."
For Tufts, the most memorable match of the weekend was not the MIT showdown, but its dramatic win over Williams. Prior to the match, Williams had torn through its NESCAC lineup, going 8-0 and only losing four of its 28 individual games in NESCAC play. But the Ephs ran up against a Tufts team playing at its best, and fell 30-25, 30-23, and 30-21 in straight games.
"I think our win against Williams was one of the best matches we played all year," Thompson said. "It was so consistent, and our energy level was nice and steady."
The Jumbos accumulated seven aces with only two serving errors against the Ephs. Once again, Harrison led the way offensively, accumulating 16 kills, while also adding 10 digs defensively.
Junior Katie Wysham, another All-Tournament selection, contributed nine kills, four blocks and two serving aces. O'Reilly also had two aces to go with her 35 assists and 13 digs. Sophomore Natalie Goldstein led the team on defense again, amassing 17 digs.
Preceding the Williams match-up was Tufts' second match of the first round against Springfield. Springfield is one of the best teams in New England this year, and that was certainly on display early in the match, as the Pride took a 2-0 lead with 30-24 and 30-26.
The Jumbos' comeback began in the third game, when they came back with a 30-20 win. Tufts eventually took the last two games 30-23 and 15-6 to close out Springfield.
"It's just one of those games that builds our confidence," O'Reilly said. "We were able to win on Springfield's home court, and it just showed how much we wanted that game. It was a mutual feeling up and down the team."
Harrison turned in a tremendous match, contributing almost half of the total Jumbo kills with 25, and also adding 19 digs and two blocks. Goldstein and junior Stephanie Viola held down the fort defensively, with 24 and 21 digs respectively. Once again, the Jumbos controlled their service errors, coughing up only two in the five-game match.
Though not as formidable as their other opponents, Tufts' first opponent, Bridgewater State, brought a 12-14 record into the tournament. Tufts controlled the match from the opening and cruised to a 3-0 win behind consistent play on both sides of the ball.
The Tufts squad has come a long way from its season-opening Buttermaker Tournament, but there is still more work to be done before the NESCAC tournament begins on Nov. 3.
"I think that more than anything, what we want to do is serve tough and keep that consistency," Thompson said. "We need consistent play - we need to be able to side out quickly and get the serve back."
This week is the last week of NESCAC play, and the Jumbos have three games remaining - at Bowdoin on Wednesday, at Hamilton on Friday, and versus Williams at Hamilton on Saturday, all with huge implications for the league standings.
Wednesday's game at home against Bowdoin kicks off the crucial stretch. The Jumbos and Polar Bears each have two league losses, so the winner will gain a substantial edge in the standings. The weekend's games will unclog a logjam where five teams, Tufts included, are within a game of one another in second through fifth place.
"We can't let [the success this weekend] go to our heads too much," O'Reilly said. "Williams is going to come back and give us a good match, but we do know what we're capable of and how well we played this weekend."
