Going into the Brandeis Invitational, the volleyball team was filled with unanswered questions, most notably about the performance of eight first-years, who make up more than half the roster. But by the time Saturday was over, the Jumbos had shrugged off the doubts emphatically, sweeping the weekend's three-game slate with victories over Emmanuel, Rhode Island College (RIC) and Haverford.
The Jumbos looked especially impressive Saturday with a pair of straight set wins. Against Haverford, the defending Centennial Conference regular-season champions, Tufts' success came from its defense. Five different players posted double-digit digs, totaling 68 as a team. That tenacious defense, coupled with a game-high 15 kills from freshman Kelly Brennan, proved too much for the Fords to handle, with Tufts rolling 25-19, 25-22, 25-21.
"The most impressive thing this weekend was our energy, so even when we fell behind, we finished every game strongly," senior tri-captain Cara Spieler said. "In every game we were down at some point, but we all stayed positive and confident and kept playing together, which led to our comebacks."
The RIC victory was even more convincing; Tufts never allowed more than 16 points in a set while controlling the pace of the play. Brennan again led the way with 13 kills, and Spieler added 12 thanks to junior setter Kendall Lord, who finished with 38 assists. Senior tri-captain Audrey Kuan, who is also the Executive Online Editor of the Daily, added 19 digs in a confident, all-around performance from Tufts.
"I think we got stronger with each set that we played," Lord said. "After we got the jitters out in the first set against Emmanuel, every set we played better and better until the last one against Haverford, which was definitely our best."
Brennan's contributions were especially notable given the loss this year of hitter Caitlin Updike (LA '11), who was named an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention last season. If the freshmen continue to step up, the team feels it will have no problem replacing the lost offensive production.
"Kelly was amazing, one of the best hitters that I've ever played with or seen," Spieler said. "She's just got such a great attitude on the court, has so much energy and also has some of the best touch of any hitter on the team."
Brennan credited her teammates for her success on the opening weekend.
"The level of competition was great, but at the same time nothing would be happening without the juniors and seniors we have out there," Brennan said. "I think with so many new players, the chemistry we have is just amazing, and this week in practice we can work on the little things to get even better."
The Jumbos will likely have an intimidating attacking presence for years to come with seven freshmen above 5-foot-10 and four taller than 6 feet. The numbers also offer the team needed depth, as injuries and fatigue will invariably set in during the long season.
"I think all of the freshmen played a role this weekend, and everyone did a wonderful job," Lord said. "None of the freshmen are playing like freshmen, and we know that they can all step up to get the job done."
"There were times when we had four freshmen on the court at one time, and you couldn't tell at all," Spieler added.
The new infusion of height and talent was on full display in Friday's four-set victory over Emmanuel College. Unlike the two games on Saturday, the Jumbos stumbled out of the gate, losing a closely fought first set 25-23. From there, Tufts rallied, and with more than half the team's kills coming from the freshman trio of Brennan, Isabel Kuhel and Hayley Hopper, Tufts looked in control as they took the next three sets 25-16, 25-10, 25-17.
The three definitive victories will be confidence boosters heading into next weekend, when the Jumbos will travel to Conn.
College for a pair of NESCAC games against Hamilton and Williams—teams that have 4-0 and 6-2 records, respectively.
"I'm excited for this season, because this team has so much potential," Lord said. "We definitely had a great weekend, and were going to take that with us heading into the conference games."
