In the face of a lengthy 11-game road stretch, the Jumbos proceeded to steamroll opponents as they have all season, sweeping Colby and Bates in the first two of six consecutive NESCAC matches and in the process gaining sole possession of the top seed in the conference with a perfect 5-0 mark.
Taking on the cellar-dwelling Colby Mules on Saturday, the Jumbos proved why they are currently the No. 1 ranked team in New England. Riding a combined 27 kills from juniors Dawson Joyce-Mendive and Caitlin Updike, the team's top offensive producers this season, the Jumbos dominated the Mules in straight sets — 25-12, 25-19 and 25-13 — to garner their 19th consecutive victory.
"We want to win all of these and win them playing well, because we're playing a lot of different levels throughout the NESCAC," coach Cora Thompson said. "The challenge is to keep our level of play up so we're ready for bigger and stronger teams."
"It feels good to finally have a couple of NESCAC games under our belt," senior co-captain Dena Feiger added.
While Tufts' attack was firing on all cylinders — six different Jumbos converted on Feiger's 37 assists — another aspect of the team's game was especially impressive. Behind a powerful four-ace performance from junior Nancy Shrodes and another three from first-year Brittany Neff, the Jumbos combined for nine service aces and just two errors on the match. With 21 aces on the year, Shrodes has proven the Jumbos' most dangerous player from behind the line.
"When people get back there and someone like Nancy is just acing people, we're still working for them, but that's the best way to get points," Joyce-Mendive said. "Coach has really been harping on us to work on our serving and Nancy has definitely done that."
"We want to toughen up our serving and Nancy is on the top of my list [for that]," Thompson added. "Her serve is just aggressive; her ball really does float, kind of like a knuckle ball. We can ride Nancy's serve all game — she's what we'd call a steady-Eddie."
Friday's contest against Bates provided a bit more of a challenge for the Jumbos, but thanks to a gutsy defensive effort, they were able to grind out yet another 3-0 win.
The first set was a testament to why the NESCAC is one of the toughest conferences in the country, as the teams needed a lot more than the usual 25 points to decide the victor.
Yet, the Bobcats could not claw their way past the Jumbos, and Tufts finally pulled off the win 31-29. Though they never needed to go the extra distance again, the Jumbos did not cruise past the Bobcats as they did against Colby the following day, claiming the second and final sets 25-23 and 25-21.
"It's hard when we play teams that are a little below our caliber," Joyce-Mendive said. "But this team definitely has a refuse-to-lose attitude … so when it got tight [against Bates] we really stepped up our game a notch."
"This team refuses to not only lose matches, but to lose sets," Thompson added. "Bates is a team that we should beat in three [sets], and the girls knew that. Bates would not go away, though, and they forced us play our best defense and step up our game."
The Jumbos' front line proved a major asset in the win, posting 6.5 total blocks. As she has been all year, six-foot junior Erica Lokken — the Jumbos' only player over six feet tall — was a wall at the net, stuffing the Bobcats four times. She leads the Jumbos with 37 blocks on the year. As part of an excellent weekend for the freshman, Neff chipped in three blocks.
Defensively, the Jumbos were protected by a three-pronged safety net, as sophomore Audrey Kuan, Feiger and Updike came up with 14, 10 and 10 digs, respectively.
"Every girl on our team can play," Feiger said. "When we have long tournaments or long matches, it really helps to know that anyone can come in and play. Whenever one of us gets tired, there's always eight other girls that can come in with fresh legs and a different perspective."
The offensive trio of senior co-captain Brogie Helgeson, Updike and Joyce-Mendive was its usual dominant self, combining for 30 of the Jumbos' 38 kills. Running the show with 33 assists was Feiger, whose 688 assists give her the most in the league.
Though momentum is clearly on Tufts' side, the worst is yet to come for the Jumbos, as they still have to run the gauntlet of NESCAC opponents hoping to finally bring a halt to their charge.
Up next is a trip to Middlebury, where they will face the Panthers on Friday before taking on Hamilton and Williams on Saturday. Though Middlebury and Hamilton are both near the bottom of the standings, owning 2-2 and 0-5 conference records, respectively, Tufts insists that no NESCAC contest is ever a sure thing.
"We're doing a great job of taking it one match at a time," Thompson said. "Middlebury is a very strong team and much better than their record shows."
The Ephs (12-5, 4-1 NESCAC), though, should be the biggest challenge of the weekend. Though the Jumbos handled Williams rather easily in their first meeting back in September, the two teams have a history that will bring a little extra edge to the match.
The Ephs were responsible for putting an end to the Jumbos' bid for a NESCAC title last year, handing them a 3-2 defeat at home in the tournament semifinal. It seems that the Jumbos' memory is short, though, and they are more excited than anxious about the match.
"We always love playing Williams, and they're always a fun team to play and a challenge," Feiger said. "But we're looking forward to next weekend and feeling confident."
