MEDFORD, MA (October 26, 2022) -- Senior middle hitter
Grace Legris posted a career-high 15 kills Wednesday evening, adding four blocks as the No. 24 Tufts University volleyball team outlasted Brandeis University 3-1 with scores of 27-29, 25-14, 28-26 and 26-16 in Cousens Gymnasium.
With the win, the Jumbos moved to 16-5 on the season while going 12-4 in non-conference action for the regular season. It wasn't easy though, as the Judges (10-13) made Tufts work for every point. In fact, both teams played extremely solid defense, with the two teams combining for 182 digs. The 92 digs was just one shy of the season-high for the Jumbos, and it was the most in a four-set match since chalking up 100 in the 2016 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) semifinal match against Bowdoin.
The first set was nip-and-tuck all the way through, as both teams wouldn't give an inch to their counterparts. Tufts led 23-19 late in the set by Brandeis rallied to make it 23-23 after a kill from Lara Verstovsek.
Cora Cunningham hammered down a kill to give Tufts set point, and the Jumbos had two more set points denied before the Judges posted back-to-back points at 27-all to clinch the opening set.
The second game was a different story, as the host Jumbos controlled from the opening serve, hitting a match-best .378 while holding Brandeis to only seven kills in the game to even the match. Legris and
Maya Lightfoot each had four kills in the second set, while
Maddie Yu handed out eight helpers and posted two service aces.
The Judges didn't go away though, as the third set was a replay of the opening stanza with 13 tie scores and six lead changes. No team led by more than four points in the stanza, as Tufts took a 2-1 match lead thanks to back-to-back attacking errors by Brandeis after the score was tied at 26. The fourth set was close early on, but a 10-2 run through the middle of the set was too much for the Judges to come back from as Tufts clinched the victory.
Legris hit .519 for the night to pace all Jumbo hitters, needing only 27 attempts to get to her career-high for kills. That wasn't the only career-high on Wednesday evening, as senior
Stephanie Lee chalked up a career-best 29 digs including a whopping 13 in the first set alone.
Maddie Yu chalked up another double-double, her 10th of the year, with 34 assists and 12 digs.
Lightfoot finished with 12 kills in the victory, while
Rileigh Farragher also added 12 kills, five digs and four assisted blocks.
Cora Cunningham was active with seven kills on 12 attacks, hitting .583, in addition to four assisted blocks.
Christine Audette was stellar defensively with 16 digs along with her six kills and
Zoe Gregory also logged 10 digs and 20 assists for her fifth double-double of the year.
Verstovsek had a match-best 23 kills, also booking 15 digs for Brandeis, while Sydney Bent tallied six of her 12 kills in the third set while adding 28 digs as well.
The Jumbos will finish the regular season this weekend with a pair of NESCAC contests, traveling first Friday evening to Connecticut College at 6 p.m. in New London, CT. Tufts will finish its regular season on the road at Bowdoin College Saturday at 2 p.m. in more league action.
--JUMBOS--
