Cousens Gymnasium was buzzing in anticipation on Wednesday evening as the volleyball team took the court against Emerson College. On the team's Senior Night, when the Jumbos were honoring the collegiate careers of their tri−captains, Audrey Kuan — who is also the executive online editor of the Daily — Lexi Nicholas and Cara Spieler, it was only fitting that two of them led the way in the 3−0 rout.
"We were super pumped for our last regular season home game," Spieler said. "With all the fans, we gave it all the fire we had."
With Nicholas out nursing an ankle injury, the Jumbos looked to build on their success last weekend in the Hall of Fame Invitational, and they quickly jumped off to a commanding 13−2 lead. Tufts ultimately captured the frame 25−8.
"We had strong serving right off the bat," head coach Cora Thompson said. "It really allowed us to mess up their defensive strategy."
The Jumbos continued to overpower their opponents throughout the match, led by Spieler's impressive 19 kills, and freshman Hayley Hopper's 10. Junior setter Kendall Lord also had a big game, fueling the powerful Jumbos attack with her masterful passing that resulted in a match−high 40 assists.
"Kendall was setting so well, especially at the end of the second set," Spieler said. "Her passes allowed me a direct hit line for my spikes."
In that second set, the Jumbos jumped out to an early lead, but the Lions began clawing back after a timeout called by their coach, Ben Read. At one point, Emerson came within two points of tying up the score by taking advantage of Tufts' unusual lack of communication. However, after several winning points punctuated by Kuan's serving and Hopper's spikes, the Jumbos rallied to win the second set by a score of 25−18.
"We just need to play our game and play the way we know we can," Spieler said.
After a slow start in the third set, the Jumbos rallied to win 25−19, improving their overall record to 21−4, while remaining 8−1 in conference play. Throughout the match, the Lions had no answer for the power game of the Jumbos, who finished with a remarkable 53 kills and five service aces, while committing only 12 attack errors and four service miscues. That efficiency is a testament to Tufts' strong team focus and communication.
"Serving has been one of our major strengths through the whole season," Thompson said. "Communication is also one of our team's biggest strengths. Our mouths get our feet moving."
Another major reason for Wednesday's victory was Hopper's continued success; the first−year outside hitter has played a pivotal role in the team's victories.
"It's all about staying confident," Hopper said. "My teammates are very supportive and always bring me back up."
The team has three more regular season matches scheduled for this weekend, one of which is against conference rival Conn. College. The Camels boast a 6−3 conference record, and are third in the NESCAC standings, one spot behind the second−place Jumbos. To have any hope of catching undefeated Bowdoin at the top of the conference, the Jumbos will need a victory against Conn. College, which will be looking to hold off Middlebury (5−3) and Williams (5−3).
"These out−of−conference games are nice [to win]," Thompson said in anticipation of Friday's match at Conn. College. "But we have to play the best of the best [in order] to be the best."
Wednesday, however, was all about honoring the contributions of the team's three seniors.
"All three were rocks and consistent players all season," Thompson said.
"[Volleyball] was such a good experience," Spieler added. "Deep down it's sad, but it has been such a good time."
