The volleyball team, which started the year with hopes for a repeat trip to the NCAA Quarterfinals, faces a troubling truth as it nears the postseason.
The 2010 Jumbos have shown this year that they are talented and tough and at times can hang with any team in the NESCAC. But after finishing in fourth place at the Hall of Fame Tournament this past weekend — a tournament the team won in 2009 — it becomes even clearer that this year's squad is not as consistently strong as last year's record−setting bunch.
"We haven't been as steady over the course of this season," junior Cara Spieler said. "We've had moments of greatness and moments of breakdown. But I know that we have so much potential. All we can do is stay positive."
The Jumbos' positive mentality will be put to the test after a weekend that ended with a pair of losses to the top two teams in the NESCAC standings — Middlebury and Amherst. Playing in the top−tier Gold Bracket, Tufts thumped Brandeis on Friday to advance to the semifinals. But on Saturday afternoon, the Jumbos fell in straight sets to the Panthers and then dropped the third−place match to the Lord Jeffs in a closer, four−set contest.
Amherst's defense (second in the NESCAC in blocks, 11 total against the Jumbos) caused problems for the Tufts attack.
"Both of the teams have good, scrappy defenses and put up a really strong block," senior quad−captain Nancy Shrodes said. "We played much better against Amherst, but they're both solid teams. We're in a really tough conference."
Senior quad−captain Caitlin Updike, who is playing on a fractured ankle that she suffered at Middlebury two weeks ago, winced her way through the weekend, earning her way onto the All−Tournament team.
"I can play on it as long as the swelling stays down," Updike said. "It's a pain−tolerance thing. I try not to think about it because when I think about it, I stay cautious."
In a year when the Jumbos lineup seems perpetually in flux, first−year setter Michaela Sinrod continued to step in for sophomore Kendall Lord, who remains away from the team for personal reasons. Sinrod's teammates rave about her poise and say that with every match, her chemistry with the hitters is improving.
"Michaela's really been amazing," Spieler said. "But each setter has a different tempo. [As a hitter] you kind of get to know your setter and are able to judge who she'll set to and the speed of the set."
After the two losses on Saturday, Tufts has now dropped six of its past nine matches. The Jumbos' record on the year is now 17−9, and the nine losses this season are as many as the team had in 2008 and 2009 combined. But as they prepare for this weekend's Judges Classic at Brandeis — the team's final test before the NESCAC Tournament — the Jumbos remain resolute in their goal of making the national tournament.
With nine losses, Tufts won't be making it to the NCAA bracket as an at−large bid like the team did in 2008, when the Jumbos went 10−0 in the NESCAC before being upset by Williams in the NESCAC Tournament. Instead, the Jumbos must win the NESCAC tournament to earn an automatic bid. In order to do so, they will need to quickly find the form that they had during a 10−match winning streak earlier this season. This weekend is a chance to gain some momentum heading in to what will be a do−or−die conference tournament.
"If we stay focused with intensity, we know that we can beat all these teams," Shrodes said. "We haven't figured out all the small details yet, but hopefully when it comes down to it, we'll take care of business."
