This weekend Tufts University will host the NCAA New England Regional branch of the Division III National Volleyball Tournament. The Jumbos, who made it to the second round last year before being dispatched in a five-set nail-biter by the Wellesley Blue, begin their tournament Thursday afternoon against the Lady Mariners of Maine Maritime Academy. Last Saturday, the Mariners won their third straight North Atlantic Conference title, dominating their competition.
"I think that we are very lucky, and have a great bracket," senior Jumbo co-captain Brogie Helgeson said. "We've never seen Maine Maritime, and we're excited to play them."
If the Jumbos make it past the Lady Mariners in the first round, a likely repeat of last year's regional semifinal versus Wellesley awaits. The Blue knocked off MIT in straight sets last Saturday to win its second New England Men's and Women's Conference (NEWMAC) volleyball championship in three years, improving its record to 23-9 on the year. The Jumbos have not faced Wellesley at all this season and a possible rematch on Friday could be a game to remember.
"We haven't seen them all year, but we know that Wellesley is a good team," Helgeson said.
Lurking on the other side of the New England bracket is perennial contender Williams, which dispatched the Jumbos 3-0 in the final of the NESCAC Tournament on Sunday afternoon, as well as the Little East Conference champs UMass Boston. The Jumbos are very familiar with these two teams and have faced both of them numerous times this season. The Ephs and the Beacons have shared time with Tufts at the top of the regional rankings this season and a potential semifinal matchup on Friday between them would feature two of the four teams that have beaten the Jumbos this season.
Rounding out the field are the underdog Emerson College Lions, who received an automatic bid after being crowned victors of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference and two teams celebrating their first-ever time dancing on the big stage in the Div. III National Tournament: Westfield State, winners of the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference, and Clarkson University, which received an at-large bid after posting an impressive record of 28-6.
The Jumbos are hoping to rebound this weekend from their disappointing loss to Williams on Sunday and to reassert their position at the top of the New England rankings, a spot that they have held for the bulk of the season. While Tufts struggled at the end of the season in the NESCAC Tournament, the team knows that it is crucial to put that behind it and maintain its focus on Maine Maritime, a team which may not be familiar but could be potentially be dangerous.
"We don't know a lot about [the Mariners]," Helgeson said. "We know that they are a lower seed, but those things don't matter once you get into the tournament."
