The volleyball team ended its regular season with a road trip to Hamilton, N.Y., this weekend, where the Jumbos played back-to-back NESCAC games against the host Continentals and Williams. The team ended up splitting, burying Hamilton in three straight games on Friday but dropping the match to Williams on Saturday. The Jumbos returned home with a No. 4 playoff seed, their lowest since 2003 and a disappointing drop from the two-spot they occupied heading into the weekend, but a sparkling 23-7 overall record nevertheless.
The Jumbos swept Hamilton in three straight games on Friday night with a match score of 30-20, 30-19, 31-29, denying the Continentals a spot in the NESCAC playoffs and ending Hamilton's season without a league win. Tufts senior co-captain Kelli Harrison raked in 14 kills and 10 digs while junior Cecilia Allende took advantage of the Continentals weaknesses, adding 10.
Just 24 hours later, the Jumbos lost a tough game to NESCAC rival and No. 1 seed Williams with a match score of 25-30, 27-30, 21-30. The Jumbos came out strong behind Harrison's 15 kills and 14 digs and sophomore Natalie Goldstein's 19 digs, but were unable to rally against a clean and focused Williams team. The defeat was made even harder to swallow given the Jumbos' sweep of the Ephs just a week earlier in a non-conference match at the Hall of Fame Tournament.
"We came out strong in the first game, but froze a little in the second," Harrison said. "We started playing reactionary volleyball and never regained the momentum we started out with."
Williams had already wrapped up a No. 1 seed with an 9-0 conference clip entering the NESCAC weekend and sealed a perfect NESCAC record with their victory over the Jumbos. The Ephs are now set to host the NESCAC Tournament this weekend and will open against No. 8 Middlebury on Friday at 6 p.m.
The loss to Williams dropped the squad from a possible No. 2 seed in the playoffs to a No. 4 seed, giving Tufts a first round match against fifth-seeded Conn. College this Friday at 8 p.m. Despite a drop from the second seed that they have occupied for the past two seasons, the Jumbos know what it takes to be a contender for the NESCAC title.
"We are looking forward to proving ourselves once and for all as a top team in New England," junior outside hitter Stephanie Viola said. "We want to win NESCACs and earn an NCAA bid."
If the road to the NESCAC championship happens to include a rematch against Williams, the Jumbos are anything but hesitant about the facing off against the rival Ephs once more. "Our goal is to win NESCACs," Harrison said. "But I can't think of a better way to reach the championship game than by beating Williams in their own house."
Barring an upset win for Conn. College or Middlebury, a rematch against Williams would be in the cards for Tufts. If both the Jumbos and the Ephs win their first round games, they will meet again in the semifinals on Saturday afternoon.
However, the team's strategy is to take it one game at a time and knock down the competition as it comes along, and that starts with a repeat of a regular-season 3-1 win over the Camels.
"Connecticut College is a great team," Harrison said. "They have really good outside hitters, and we need to work on our deep defense and keeping our energy up. That's how we beat them last time."
Thompson also recognized the threat the Camels pose to her team.
"They are going to give us a good run for our money," she said. "If we serve our toughest game, pass well, and play good defense, we will come out on top."
Williams has the home-court advantage this weekend, but according to Thompson, the Jumbos thrive on big pressure and even bigger competition.
"We play better with big crowds," Thompson said. "And when it comes down to it and it's all on the line, you will see a different Jumbo team. We've proven that we can beat the good teams, with the exception of Amherst, and we'd love the opportunity to see [Williams and Amherst] again."
The Jumbos are no strangers to postseason appearances. The 2005 squad earned a second-place finish at the NESCAC Tournament and an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, where they advanced to the quarterfinals.
This year's team is looking to improve on that performance and take its game to the champions' level.
"The NESCAC teams are pretty evenly matched this year," Allende said. "Whichever team shows up to play that day is going to take it. Williams showed up to play on Saturday. We will be there this weekend."
