WILLIAMSTOWN, MA (October 20, 2023) -- No. 23 Babson College eked out the first two sets over the Tufts University volleyball team, and a rally from the Jumbos fell just short in a 3-1 defeat to the Beavers in the first of three matches this weekend from the New England Challenge at Williams College. Babson earned the win with scores of 26-24, 25-23, 22-25 and 25-18.
In the opening set, Tufts held as much as a 17-10 lead following a kill by
Rileigh Farragher but the Beavers (20-2) battled back. With the score 22-18 in favor of the Jumbos, Babson rattled off the next four points to tie the set at 22. First-year
Emma Heckman posted a kill to make it 23-22, and a kill two points later by fellow first-year
Claire Castor gave the Jumbos a set point. Babson would earn the final three points of the set though to clinch the opening stanza.
The second period was much like the first, but Tufts was the one that had to do the chasing as Babson led by as many as eight at 17-9. A kill by senior
Tori Goldin got a 6-1 run going for the Jumbos, and a subsequent 5-0 run put the Jumbos ahead 22-21 after a kill from Heckman. Babson fought back with the next three points to make it 24-22, and a kill from Erin Gray gave the Beavers the second set.
The third set saw the Jumbos lead the majority of the game, fighting off a late charge by Babson to earn a 25-22 win to trim the Tufts' deficit to 2-1. In the fourth, Tufts sprinted forward to a 14-10 lead in the game but a 6-0 run for the Beavers gave them a 16-14 lead. Goldin stopped the Babson run with a kill to make it 16-15, but that was as close as Tufts would get the rest of the game as the Beavers closed out the match with a 4-0 run including back-to-back aces.
Farragher posted 10 kills and two assisted blocks on the night, while Heckman finished with 10 kills on 30 swings. Goldin tallied eight kills and 11 digs, while Castor finished with eight kills and four digs. Senior
Megan Harrison was once again strong as she finished with five of the team's 11 aces, adding 28 digs on the night. Sophomore
Zoe Gregory tallied 13 assists and five digs, and senior setter
Maddie Yu also posted 22 helpers and three digs.
Isabella ALlen had 13 kills for the Beavers to led all hitters, and Zoe Ackerman finished with 28 assists and seven digs ni the win. Roz Cabuena also posted 28 digs for Babson.
Tufts (10-8) will take on Springfield College Saturday at 11 a.m., followed by another non-conference tilt with MIT at 3:30 p.m. in the final two matches of the New England Challenge.
--JUMBOS--
