"Our NESCAC record is awful, and it should be better, and I think it will get better now that we've made some changes," senior captain Katie Wysham told the Daily last Wednesday, ahead of the team's critical weekend of conference play against Trinity and Wesleyan.
As the volleyball team proved this weekend, Wysham couldn't have been more right.
Faced with the challenge of improving its 1-3 NESCAC record and eighth-place standing in the conference, the Jumbos responded emphatically, sweeping matches against Trinity and Wesleyan in a round robin at Amherst and not dropping a game the entire weekend.
"Our team really played consistently, and I think that every player that was on the court just really brought their A game," Wysham said. "The whole team was in support of everyone. Even when people weren't on the court, the whole bench and everyone was just in support of our team. We were just really excited and fired up going into the weekend, and we played with our hearts."
On Saturday, the Jumbos took on a 13-4 Wesleyan squad which posted the second-best record in the conference last year and which boasts the reigning NESCAC Player of the Year in outside hitter Lisa Drennan. But Tufts defeated the Cardinals handily, 32-30, 30-22 and 30-22, and the Jumbos have not dropped any of their last eight games.
"We weren't focused at all on defense," Wesleyan senior co-captain Jettie Word said. "[Tufts's] defense is really strong and they outplayed ours."
The team's 5-1 setup, which it implemented before Wednesday's win over Brandeis, worked well again on Saturday. The new formation puts one setter on the floor for the entire match to facilitate communication, a role sophomore Dena Feiger assumed this weekend. Against the Cardinals, she posted 37 assists in just three games, good for the match high.
First-year hitter Dawson Joyce-Mendive notched 17 kills, and senior captain Katie Wysham also tallied double digits in kills. Junior Stacy Filocco added a pair of aces along with seven kills. The Jumbos hit at a great .274 percentage.
Junior Maya Ripecky paced the Jumbos defensively with 20 digs while Joyce-Mendive, Wysham, and junior Natalie Goldstein all added over 10 apiece. Junior Kate Denniston had eight kills compared to only one error on the match.
"Kate Denniston had a standout performance," coach Marritt Cafarchia said. "She was very loud and put the ball away in key situations."
It was a similar scene Friday night when the Jumbos faced Trinity and again won in three games. Tufts started the Bantams' rough weekend early, winning by scores of 30-28, 30-28, and 30-21. Trinity fell to 13-5 and 3-3 in the conference.
Wysham had another strong match with 11 kills, an ace and three solo blocks while assisting on three others. Three Jumbos - Ripecky, Goldstein and Filocco - totaled over 20 digs. Feiger had all of the team's 35 assists.
"We were blocking well and playing amazing all-out defense," Cafarchia said. "We were also passing relatively well all weekend."
For a team that has been streaky all season long, Tufts may be getting hot at exactly the right time.
"We haven't peaked yet," Cafarchia said. "We're on our way up and are getting better every time we step on the court. Our confidence is increasing with each match."
Tuesday will mark the final home match of the Jumbos' season and of the collegiate career for seniors Wysham and Stephanie Viola, who has been injured this season. The match has major NESCAC implications for Tufts, which will take on 5-1 Conn. College. The Camels are on their way to a program-best season and are riding high after knocking off previously-unbeaten Amherst. But the Jumbos are up for the challenge.
"We're very confident," Feiger said. "I know our team has it in us to continue winning, and I think we'll do that."
