While the Polar Bears were on fire, the Tufts volleyball team got left out in the cold.
The second−seeded Jumbos, ranked fourth in the region entering this weekend's NESCAC tournament, fell to defending champion Middlebury in the semifinals 3−1, leaving Tufts hoping for an at−large bid to NCAAs when the field is announced Monday morning.
The third−seeded Panthers carried a 2−1 lead into the fourth set and rallied from a 22−19 deficit to earn a 28−26 victory that clinched the match.
Senior tri−captain Cara Spieler had a match−high 19 kills and 19 digs in the loss, while classmate Audrey Kuan — who is also the executive online editor for the Daily — posted 28 digs. Freshmen Hayley Hopper and Kelly Brennan combined for 26 kills.
Middlebury advanced to the finals on Sunday, only to run into a Bowdoin squad that won its first−everNESCAC title in a 3−0 decision in Brunswick, Maine yesterday. In the midst of the program's best−ever season, the Polar Bears got 12 kills from senior Kristin Hanczor to stifle the Panthers' shot at their fourth conference crown.
For a full recap of Tufts' loss to Middlebury, see tomorrow's Daily.
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