MEDFORD, MA (November 4, 2023) -- The Tufts University volleyball team dropped the opening set to No. 5 seed Trinity College Saturday, but rallied to take the next three games in opening 2023 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Tournament action with a 3-1 win in play from Cousens Gymnasium.
With the victory, the Jumbos advance to the NESCAC semifinals next Saturday, with its opponent and location to be determined on Sunday with the three remaining quarterfinals. Saturday's win over Trinity was the second straight year that the Jumbos have bested the Bantams in the NESCAC quarterfinals.
The Jumbos attacked well on Saturday, hitting .234 for the match, but it was the defense that stepped up in the final three sets to help earn the win. Tufts held Trinity under .200 hitting in the second and third sets to reclaim the let, and then hit .314 themselves to clinch the win.
First-year
Emma Heckman had a huge game for the Jumbos in the victory, as the right-side finished with 13 kills, four assisted blocks and six digs. Fellow first-year
Claire Castor tallied 12 kills, four aces, two blocks and five digs in the triumph.
Senior
Rileigh Farragher added 10 kills and three digs for Tufts, while senior
Tori Goldin also contributed eight kills and 13 digs. Senior Meg Harrison finished with a team-high 17 digs, and senior
Maddie Yu logged another double-double of 22 assists and 12 digs. Sophomore
Zoe Gregory just missed a double-double herself, tallying 14 assists and nine digs, adding an ace at 24-23 in the fourth set to clinch the match.
Senior
Cora Cunningham also finished with six kills and four blocks, and fellow middle hitter
Alina Qi tallied four assisted blocks. For the match, Tufts finished with 53 kills on 145 attempts, and finished with 10 service aces as well.
Trinity was paced by the 15 terminations from Eva Lekovic, and Ellie Gordon and Lola Craig also posted 12 and 11 kills, respectively. Caroline Howell led the team with 25 assists, and Scarlett Jago tallied 15 digs in the loss.
--JUMBOS--
