When the volleyball team took the court in 2006, it had top-notch talent, a strong program history coming off the 2005 NCAA run, and all the tools for a NESCAC title. But for coach Cora Thompson, those pieces will not add up to a banner without one key ingredient. "We're still looking for consistency," Thompson said. "With volleyball it's hard to keep that consistency. We have to create new momentum for every match."
At times, the Jumbos have looked unbeatable, coming up with key defensive digs and head-spinning kills. And yet at other times, unprovoked errors and inconsistency within matches have hampered the team. The two losses on the Jumbos' 2-2 NESCAC record-a 3-1 loss to Wesleyan on Sept. 15, and a 3-2 loss to Amherst last Saturday-were both comebacks that fell short after Tufts rallied to tie the score.
But heading into the second NESCAC weekend of the season, the Jumbos seem to be starting to find this consistency. Tufts lost a tough match to Amherst last weekend but quickly bounced back to beat Middlebury 3-0 and Brandeis 3-1. While Tufts started off on the wrong foot against the Judges, dropping the first game with some weaker play, the momentum from the three straight game wins could carry over into this weekend.
"We're all pretty excited about this weekend," said junior Katie Wysham, who led the team offensively against Brandeis with 18 kills on 35 attempts. "Every win is a boost. We're excited to keep our undefeated home record."
This weekend, in their fifth and sixth league games of the season, the Jumbos will face the Bates Bobcats and the Colby Mules, both at home. Currently, Tufts' 2-2 record places it sixth in the NESCAC.
"It's still pretty early, but I think both teams are a concern," Thompson said. "Both are very important games in the [league] standings."
The Jumbos have not played either the Bobcats or the Mules this season. With that said, Tufts does have a history with Colby. The Jumbos suffered three 3-0 shutout losses at the hands of the Mules last season, one of which ended their hopes at a league title and the final one in the NCAA Tournament's Round of 16. Against Bates, Tufts managed shutout wins in both matches against the Bobcats last season.
"[Bates and Colby] are both equally mysterious," senior co-captain Kelli Harrison said, who also posted a strong offensive outing on Tuesday night with 16 kills. "We don't know much about either team [this season]."
Thompson emphasized the importance of playing cleaner volleyball in the league games this weekend. The Jumbos had 35 attack errors against the Lord Jeffs last weekend and five serving errors, with many coming at the worst possible moments.
"We need to minimize our errors," Thompson said. "It absolutely killed us with Amherst. We're beating ourselves. In a sport like this, it's rally scoring, so if you have six errors, you give them six points. It can be pretty frustrating. "
"If we don't play as a team we don't play well," junior Katie Wysham said
The Jumbos are hoping for solid performances this weekend from Harrison, Wysham, and sophomore Stacy Filocco, the three strongest forces on at the net this season. Sophomore Maya Ripecky is quickly becoming a hot defensive commodity; she posted a season-high 25-dig performance on Tuesday, following 21 against Middlebury and 20 in the team's loss to Amherst. Freshman Brogie Helgeson contributed eight kills on Tuesday, and senior Cecilia Allende came up big at several key points against the Judges.
"[Harrison, Wysham, and Filocco] have been very consistent, but it's hard to pull out players," Thompson said. "It's such a team sport."
The Jumbos now have a chance to double their league win total and raise their standings in the NESCAC. This weekend will also give Tufts an opportunity to prove some consistency in league play.
"We have a pretty good vibe right now," Harrison said. "We had a really solid practice, and we're excited to get back into NESCAC play. We have a good feel against the NESCAC."
