Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
MEDFORD – The Tufts volleyball team lost a pair of matches while serving as the courtesy host of UMass Boston's Beacon Invitational on Saturday at Cousens Gym. Tufts fell in three sets to 22nd-ranked Southwestern University from Texas in the morning, then lost 3-1 to Endicott in the afternoon.
Due to an issue with the UMass Boston gym, Cousens became the host facility of the tournament. However, the Jumbos could not make use the home-court advantage. Tufts is now 11-8 overall heading into Sunday's Beacon Invitational match at Cousens against #4 Christopher Newport.
The Jumbos were trounced 25-10 in the first set against Southwestern (15-6), but regrouped to play competitively with 25-19 and 25-22 losses in the next two sets. Tufts was down 12-4 early in the second set, but rallied to within 21-17 before losing. The hosts surged to a few short leads in the third set before the Pirates finished strong for the victory.
Tufts hit just .063 offensively in the match. They had a few strong defensive performances, with junior Virginia Clay (Santa Clara, CA) recording 20 digs in three sets and senior tri-captain Kendall Lord (LaJolla, CA) finishing with 18. Sophomores Isabel Kuhel (Brisbane, CA) and Hayley Hopper (Carlsbad, CA) both had four block assists.
Meredith Rollins was the lone player to finish the match with double-digit kills, recording 12 for Southwestern. The Pirates served nine aces, including four from Rachel Thibodeau. One of the best defensive teams in the country, Southwestern was led by 20 digs from Chandler Lentz and a solo block with three assists by Kaitlyn Foster.
Endicott (9-14) took a 2-0 lead over the Jumbos with 26-24 and 25-18 set wins. Tufts came back to win the third set 25-23, but the Gulls went extra to clinch the match with a 27-25 final in the fourth set.
With the first set tied at 24-24, Endicott scored the final two points on a kill by Mackenzie Guerre and a service ace from Lexi Watts. In the second set, Endicott scored the final five points to pull away. Five kills by Hopper led Tufts to the win in the third set, while Guerre's five helped the Gulls win the fourth.
Sophomore Kelly Brennan (Burr Ridge, IL) posted a match-high 18 kills for Tufts against Endicott, making just three errors in 59 attempts for a .254 hitting percentage. Sophomore Cameron Longyear (Manhattan Beach, CA) served four of Tufts' 11 aces in the match. Lord had 42 assists in four sets, while 19 digs from first-year Carolina Berger (Fort Lauderdale, FL) was the top defensive number. Kuhel was in on five blocks (one solo).
Guerre was outstanding for Endicott, hitting .382 with 16 kills and three errors in 34 attempts. Watts and Ashley Norley both served three aces, while Alleigh VandeMerkt averaged better than 10 assists per set with 44 total. Norley's 30 digs topped the Gulls and Guerre had a solo block and four assists.
Southwestern match statistics
Endicott match statistics
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