All it took was a home crowd, the magic of Homecoming weekend, and solid fundamental play for the volleyball team to finally get a win over regional rival MIT.
The Jumbos dispatched the Engineers in five games at the Jumbo Invitational this weekend to win their home tournament and get the validation that has eluded them in two previous 2006 matches against MIT.
The Engineers are one of the top teams in New England and have two season wins over Tufts, accounting for half of the Jumbos' total losses. The win over MIT clinched an overall victory for the Jumbos in their home tournament, as they amassed an unblemished 4-0 record.
"[The win] was fantastic," senior co-captain Kelli Harrison said. "We came [into] that game with two losses [to MIT]. We always think we can beat them, of course, but each loss just made the win that much sweeter."
The climactic game against MIT came on Saturday afternoon in Cousens Gym. In front of a home crowd, the Jumbos battled back and forth with the Engineers, taking the first game 30-24 before dropping the next two games 30-20 and 30-15.
At this point, it appeared to be a repeat of the previous week's match, when after the match was even at one game apiece, MIT stepped up and blew the Jumbos away in the third game, and then held on to win the fourth.
This time around, however, the Jumbos rallied to win a tension-filled fourth game 30-28 and carried that momentum into a 15-10 win in the decisive fifth game, which won them the match and the tournament, their first tournament title of the season. In the process, Tufts handed MIT only its second loss of the season, and the Engineers now stand at 21-2.
"That's something I'm really proud of our team for: that they took the opportunity to start over and constantly set the tone," coach Cora Thompson said. "You don't think about past games; you don't think about anything else. They knew what they wanted and they knew it was going to take a gutsy performance to win.
"I was really impressed with our whole team," she continued. "When you play a team like that, you find out who you really are."
Once again, Harrison led the way for the Jumbos, bringing 18 kills and her on-court leadership to the floor. Sophomore Kaitlyn O'Reilly was named the Tournament MVP partially for amassing 46 assists in the five-game match against MIT. Junior Katie Wysham, also a member of the All-Tournament team, led the front line with six blocks, while sophomore Natalie Goldstein continued her stellar defensive season with 24 digs.
Wysham's stock has skyrocketed for the Jumbos over the last two weekends, as she has become an important defensive weapon in Tufts' arsenal, bringing her 6'1" frame and veteran experience to the court.
"Her feet are quicker than they've ever been," said Thompson of her front-line leader. "She really gives us everything she's got. She's leading with her play and leading with her emotion."
Prior to the MIT game, the Jumbos played their first game in the championship bracket against SUNY Cortland. Tufts won 3-0 (30-20, 31-29, 30-27), but was challenged in the later games by a feisty Cortland squad. The Red Dragons entered the tournament at 14-6 but saw their record drop to 15-9 after a tough weekend at Cousens.
Spearheading the Jumbos' offense against Cortland was sophomore Stacy Filocco, who has continued her impressive play over the last few weeks.
"I have to give Stacy a lot of credit this year," Thompson said. "She stepped into a position where she never really played, she wants to be better, and it's showing on the court. I think all of her hard work is paying off, and she's just going to get better over time."
Filocco had 12 kills to lead the Jumbos against the Red Dragons. Goldstein and fellow sophomore Maya Ripecky held down the fort defensively, with 17 and 16 digs, respectively.
Tufts' path to the championship bracket included easy wins over Salisbury and Wellesley.
The Jumbos breezed by the Salisbury Sea Gulls 3-0 (30-15, 30-23, 30-22). Wysham and Harrison fronted the Tufts attack in that match, with 14 and 13 kills respectively. O'Reilly led the team in assists against Salisbury, as she did for most of the weekend, with 36. Wysham also made her presence known defensively, with four blocks.
In the tournament's first match, the Jumbos topped Wellesley 3-1 (30-20, 26-30, 30-27, 30-24) to set the tone for the rest of the Invitational. Harrison again led the way for the Jumbos with 16 kills. Filocco and Wysham also had impressive performances, with Filocco putting up 13 kills and Wysham contributing six blocks. Goldstein put up another solid defensive effort with 20 digs.
The undefeated weekend brings the Jumbos to 12-4, as they now look ahead to Tuesday night's clash with Emerson at home. The Jumbos have won nine of their last 10 matches and are hitting their stride as they enter a stretch of their season that includes five league showdowns, including a big challenge this weekend from the 13-1 Amherst Lord Jeffs.
"All you can ask for is improvement every time, to work past it when you have a lull, and to have the maturity as a team to bring you out of that lull," Harrison said.
