Box Score 
BALTIMORE – The Tufts University volleyball team opened NCAA Tournament play with a three-set victory over Eastern University in the first round played at Johns Hopkins on Friday afternoon.
The Jumbos (19-5) advance to the Regional semifinals tomorrow at 2:30 pm where they will face Cortland, a 3-1 winner over Merchant Marine in a first-round match on Friday. Eastern's season ends with a 24-6 record.
Tufts shook off a slow start today in which they lost 11 of the first 14 points in the match. They were able to close the gap to 18-14 and then won 11 of the last 13 points in the first set to win it 25-20. A pair of kills by Maya Lightfoot, a kill and a service ace from Cate Desler and four Eastern errors were a part of the decisive stretch that led Tufts to taking the set.
The Jumbos opened the second set up 6-1 with two Desler kills and a kill with an ace from Jennelle Yarwood getting them going. The Eagles closed to 6-4 but Tufts ran off the next six including a pair of aces from Grace Legris to lead 12-4. Eastern continued to battle and was within 17-13 before two more Yarwood kills led a Jumbo run that put them up 22-13. The Eagles pulled within 24-20, but Tufts called a time-out and came back with a Desler kill to win the set 25-20.
The third set was close until a nine out of 10 run by the Jumbos put the victory in hand. Eastern was within 14-12 on a Bridgette Kelly kill. However, three kills from Desler, two by Lightfoot and four Eagle errors made it a 23-13 Tufts advantage. A block by Lightfoot and Jennifer Ryan was the 24th point and then a Eastern error closed the set at 25-17 Tufts for the match victory.
Desler and Yarwood were a dynamic duo for the Jumbos. Desler, named Regional Player of the Year yesterday, finished with 12 kills and just two errors on 28 swings for a .357 percentage. Yarwood had an 11-1-21 hitting line for an even better .476 mark. They both also served two aces. Lightfoot added seven kills. On the defensive side, 16 digs from Stephanie Lee and five block assists by Ryan led Tufts. Maddie Yu finished with 18 assists and nine digs, while Ariel Zedric contributed 15 assists and nine digs.
For Eastern, the MAC Commonwealth Conference champs, Kelly led with 10 kills and Elle Jiron-Bujanda recorded 28 assists. Logan Martin with a solo block and two block assists and Grace Casagrande with 15 digs were the top defenders.
> 2021 NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship Johns Hopkins Regional Webiste
Watch the Tufts Post-Match Press Conference ...
