Box Score 
MEDFORD – The Tufts University volleyball team held off Coast Guard behind 17 kills from senior tri-captain Cate Desler in a four-set non-conference victory Friday night at Cousens Gymnasium.
Tufts looked to be on its way to a three-set sweep following a 25-10 win in the second set. They had taken the first set 25-22. However, Coast Guard prevailed 25-20 in the third and then gave the Jumbos all they could handle in the fourth before the hosts clinched the match with a 25-23 final.
Nine kills from Jennifer Ryan (pictured) and eight by Rileigh Farragher aided the Jumbo attack. Desler also served two aces and recorded 10 digs. Ariel Zedric finished with 25 assists, Stephanie Lee had 25 digs and Christine Audette added 20 digs with six kills (no errors) for Tufts. Farragher and Cora Cunningham finished with three block assists apiece as the Jumbos improved to 10-4.
Coast Guard saw its six-match winning streak end. The Bears (12-5) were led by 14 kills from senior tri-captain Amanda Dake and 14 digs from both freshman Kaela France and junior Noelle Tursky. Senior Mary Sweet went up for a solo block and an assist in the match.
Tufts had an early 10-5 lead in the first set forcing a Coast Guard time-out. The Bears then went on a run to pull within 16-15 on an ace by senior Lauren Hatfield. The Jumbos were able to hold the lead though, and late kills by Ryan and Farragher led to the first-set victory. The Jumbos had one of their best sets of the season in the second, hitting .423 with 14 kills and just three errors on 26 attempts. Coast Guard, on the other hand, had just one kill in the set. Audette served the first 10 points for the Jumbos, with a pair of kills by junior tri-captain Grace Legris ending the run. The Bears never got close after that.
Coast Guard scored four straight points to break a 7-7 third-set tie, including two kills by Dake. The Jumbos would get within 13-12 and 18-17, but the Bears had an answer each time. Two kills from Dake closed the match and kept the Bears alive. Tufts built a 16-10 lead in the fourth on a Desler kill. However, Coast Guard hung around and was within 21-20 following a service ace by Dake and then 22-21 on a kill by junior Sophia Galdamez. Tufts never lost its lead though, with a pair of errors by the Bears getting it to 24-21 and the Jumbos clinching the victory on a Desler kill.
The Jumbos will play a double-header at Cousens on Saturday against a pair of Trinity teams, Connecticut at 1 pm and Texas at 3:30 pm. Coast Guard is off until Tuesday when they host Wellesley College at 7 pm.
