The volleyball team ended its regular season with a bang over the weekend, winning three games at Conn. College, including a roller coaster five−set comeback victory over the host Camels. With the results, the Jumbos finished with a 24−4 overall record, including 9−1 in the NESCAC, good for the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament at Bowdoin next weekend.
"It was our most thrilling game of the season," junior setter Kendall Lord said of the Conn. College game. "We got off to a rough start but really turned it on, and that set us up for the rest of the weekend.
The weekend matchups concluded on Saturday with non−conference games against Keene State and Stevens Institute of Technology. Although the Jumbos were playing for pride alone, having already wrapped up their conference schedule, the squad came away with a straight−sets rout of the Owls and a 3−1 victory over the Ducks.
The real drama came in the Friday game against Conn. College, which the Jumbos hoped would bolster their momentum. The Camels were a strong opponent, entering the game with a 6−3 record in the NESCAC. Even though Tufts' position in the conference would not be changed by the result, the team still wanted to come out strong to give themselves confidence heading into the postseason tournament.
But things did not start out well for Tufts, as Conn. College took advantage of strong attacks from senior Amy Newman to jump out to a 2−0 set lead, winning the sets by scores of 25−19 and 25−16, respectively. With their backs against the wall, the Jumbos knew they needed to respond immediately to have any chance of turning the match around.
"Amy Newman was playing so well, and she's been out for most of the season, so it was a challenge for us," senior tri−captain Cara Spieler said. "But the difference in the match was the adjustment that we made to defend her. We're actually glad she played, because it made us raise the level of our game."
And that turnaround, much like the Jumbos' success this season, was sparked by the potent combination of veteran leadership and a freshman class that has contributed beyond all expectations. First−year Kelly Brennan finished the match with 17 kills and 15 digs, while classmate Hayley Hopper had 14 kills and four aces. Lord did her part with 43 assists and 18 digs, and Spieler added five kills and 15 digs.
"People just realized that we could do it, and that in the first two sets we were way too hesitant," senior tri−captainLexi Nicholas said. "There was a point between the second and third set when we looked at each other and said, ‘We've played against great players all season in practice, so we can do this.'"
Those strong individual performances, particularly on defense, served as a springboard for Tufts in the third set, as the Jumbos earned a 25−20 win and never looked back. With 25−19 and 15−10 victories in the final two frames, Tufts sealed its ninth conference victory of the season, its highest tally since 2008, when it went undefeated in the NESCAC.
"It was probably one of the best wins of the season, especially because it was the first time that we've come back from two sets down and won," Spieler said. "They had so many fans there too, but we just kept up our energy and it felt so good to get the win."
The squad will now look ahead to the NESCAC tournament, which will be held on Nov. 4−6 at Bowdoin. The Polar Bears will probably come in as the favorites, after becoming the first team in the conference to go undefeated since the 2008 Jumbos. However, the No. 1 seed has not won the conference tournament since 2005, and Tufts will be looking for revenge after losing in a hard−fought match against Bowdoin on Sept. 30.
"The games against Bowdoin and Endicott were the ones that we probably could have won," Spieler said. "But we've learned a lot from those losses, so they were actually good for us. Even though we had four losses, the only thing that matters now is the tournament."
First, though, the Jumbos will have to play the Williams Ephs in the quarterfinals.
It will be the third time this season that the teams will meet. Tufts managed to get the better of Williams on both previous occasions, winning 3−1 and 3−0, but neither victory came easily. Tufts will have its hands full when it meets Williams again at 5 p.m. on Friday.
"[Williams] always [has] a really good team, and every set against them this year was close," Spieler said. "They have a strong defense and a consistent team, and we've seen them before just like they've seen us. We just need to come out with high energy like we always do and play our best."
"We've developed our game over the course of the year, and we've grown in personality and skill, so we can make the adjustments," Nicholas added. "We still have a few tricks up our sleeve that we haven't used yet."
