COLLEGE
VOLLEYBALL FINAL SCORES
MIT Invitational
Tufts 3, Bridgewater St. 0 (25-17, 25-9,
25-13)
Tufts 3, Bowdoin 0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-23)
At Medford, MA
Friday, September 25, 2009
Bridgewater
St. Match Statistics
Bowdoin
Match Statistics
|
Dena Feiger averaged 11 assists per set against
Bowdoin
|
MEDFORD -- Despite scares at the beginning and end of the
evening, the Tufts University volleyball team extended its winning
streak to nine games with two straight-set victories on Friday
night at Cousens Gym. The Jumbos beat Bridgewater State (25-17,
25-9, 25-13) and Bowdoin (25-17, 25-19, 25-23) in their first two
rounds of the MIT Volleyball Invitational tournament.
Tufts (9-1) now advances to play in the Championship Bracket at
MIT on Saturday. The Jumbos will face Connecticut College at noon,
with the winner going to the championship match against either
Williams or Wesleyan at 4:00 pm. Tufts defeated the Camels in a
NESCAC match 3-0 last Saturday.
Tufts looked shaky in their first set against Bridgewater State,
and trailed early by scores of 4-1 and 8-3 until they pulled off a
four-point run to get back in to the game. The teams exchanged
points three times, and twice Tufts pulled to within one on kills
by senior co-captain Brogie Helgeson (Santa Cruz,
CA) before taking the lead on a Bridgewater error and a
block by Helgeson. Once the Jumbos took the lead, they never looked
back, closing the game with a 13-3 run.
After blowing an early lead, Bridgewater State could never seem
to get their rhythm back. Tufts jumped out to leads of 7-1 and 12-5
in the second set, and Bridgewater State did not help themselves
with unforced errors. A crucial point saw a towering block by Tufts
junior Caitlin Updike (Manhattan Beach, CA)
followed by a great dig by sophomore libero Audrey Kuan
(Los Altos, CA). Updike finished the point with a kill,
making the score 22-8, and putting the game out of reach. Updike
contributed several crucial kills in game three, while Helgeson
contributed a block and an ace en route to a 25-13 win.
Updike and Helgeson each had nine kills in the match, to co-lead
the Jumbos. Kuan's 10 digs and four block assists by sophomore
Lexi Nicholas (San Diego, CA) led the defensive
effort. Nicholas also had eight kills, as did first-year
Kiersten Ellefsen (Goshen, NY). Brianne Cobb (New
Bedford, MA) was a bright spot for Bridgewater State. The senior
libero threw herself around the court all match, and led the Bears
with nine digs. Cobb also added one of only two aces for
Bridgewater State (2-6), while Natalie Cohen (Marstons Mills, MA)
led the team with 16 assists.
Tufts was tested only slightly more by the Polar Bears of
Bowdoin (6-3). The Jumbos took an early advantage thanks to a
seven-point run served by junior Nancy Shrodes (Manhattan
Beach, CA). She capped off the rally with Tufts' only ace
of the first game, which finished in a 25-17 Tufts win.
The rest of the match saw productivity from several Jumbos,
particularly junior Dawson Joyce-Mendive (Minden,
NV). The outside hitter was a force in sets two and three,
contributing a team high 14 kills overall, including one to squash
a Bowdoin comeback attempt and finish off the 25-19 second
game.
Trying to finish off the match, Tufts struggled and looked like
they might drop a game. A strong net game by Bowdoin had given
Tufts troubles all night, led by junior Stephanie Drumright (San
Francisco, CA), who had three blocks and seven kills, and senior
Kelsey Howe (Sandy, UT) with two blocks. Drumright and Howe were
pesky in the frontcourt all night, and forced Tufts into killing
some balls long or wide. The Jumbos depended on a 10-2 run and
escaped with a 25-23 victory to complete their perfect night.
Senior co-captain Dena Feiger (Long Grove, IL)
tallied 33 assists in the match for the Jumbos. The senior setter
had the offense clicking efficiently and kept them in many long
points. Updike added eight kills to the Tufts attack. Jumbo servers
tallied four aces against Bowdoin, two by Helgeson. She also had 13
digs to lead Tufts in that category, while junior Erica Lokken (Houston, TX) was in on four blocks (two solo).
Senior Gillian Page (Mercer Island, WA) led the Polar Bears with
20 digs and nine kills.
Tufts is the defending champion of the MIT Invitational after
beating Connecticut College in the 2008 final, and is trying to
return to the championship match for the fourth year in a row.
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