MEDFORD, MA (November 8, 2023) -- Following a big 3-1 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Quarterfinal win over Trinity College last weekend, the Jumbos will travel to Middletown, Conn. this weekend for the NESCAC Tournament semifinals and finals at Wesleyan University. The Jumbos will battle Williams College on Friday night at 7:30 p.m., after the Ephs pulled the biggest upset of the opening round of games last Saturday with a five-set win over No. 2 seed Middlebury College. Top-seed Wesleyan and No. 10 seed Bowdoin College will play in the other NESCAC semifinal at 5 p.m. Friday evening.
Game Details
2023 NESCAC Tournament Website
Opponent: vs. Williams College (15-8, 4-5 NESCAC)
Date: Friday, November 10, 2023
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Middletown, CT – Freeman Athletic Center (
Directions)
Live Coverage:
LIVE STATS –
LIVE VIDEO
Tufts Against The Ephs, Rest of the Field
The Jumbos come into the weekend 26-21 all-time against the Ephs, earning wins in the last four meetings including knocking off Williams in the NESCAC semifinals last season in three games as well. Tufts defeated Williams earlier this season in five games, battling off two match points in the fourth set to rally for a 3-2 win over Cousens Gymnasium. Williams is 5-3 against Tufts in NESCAC Tournament play all-time. The Jumbos are 12-6 against Wesleyan University since 2009, while holding a 13-11 record with Bowdoin since the 2009 campaign. Tufts knocked off Bowdoin earlier this season in three game, and were topped by Wesleyan in three sets.
A Look At The Jumbos
The balanced attack of the Jumbos was on display this last weekend in the four-set win for Tufts over Trinity, as first-year
Emma Heckman finished with a career-high 13 kills while fellow first-year
Claire Castor also finished with 12 kills in the win. On the season, senior
Rileigh Farragher is one of five players with 100 or more kills on the season as she has 210 kills to pace the team. Farragher has been efficient, hitting .211, while Heckman is third on the team with 180 kills from the right side with a percentage of .256. Senior
Tori Goldin has posted 183 kills on a team-best 604 swings, and Castor has 148 kills including seven of the last nine matches with eight or more kills. In the middle
Alina Qi is fifth on the team with 107 terminations, while her 0.99 blocks per set are second-most in the NESCAC.
Castor comes into the weekend third in total aces on the year with 39, leading the Jumbos in that category, while fellow newcomer
Rianna Liu has added 0.39 service aces per match which ranks 12th best in the conference. Senior
Megan Harrison is fifth in the league in digs with 381, and senior setter
Maddie Yu has also chipped in with 177 digs on the season. Yu leads the squad in assists per set with 5.38, while Liu and sophomore
Zoe Gregory have combined for over eight helpers per set as well. Tufts has been playing its best volleyball of late, going 8-2 over its last 10 with the two losses coming to ranked MIT and Babson College.
A Look at the Ephs
Williams College is having a strong season, earning wins over Babson College while falling in five games to top squads like No. 11 Wesleyan and No. 25 Springfield College. The Ephs are coming in on a three-match winning streak, including last weekend's upset of Middlebury College. Celia Adams posted 17 kills in the win for Williams, while Keely Campuzano tallied 14 terminations as well. Marit Hoyem tallied 12 kills and two aces for the Ephs, and Morgan Daetz tallied 23 assists and five aces.
The Ephs have been led by Adams, who is averaging three kills per set which ranks sixth in the NESCAC. Hoyem is eighth in the NESCAC in kills per set with 2.69, and Campuzano is 13th in the same category with 2.50. Hoyem also ranks sixth in hitting percentage, and Lauren Kauppila is first in the league in aces with 0.61 per set. Kauppila ranks fourth in assists per set with 8.13, and is third in total assists with 707. Sidra Wohlwend is the libero for the Ephs, as she is fourth in the league with 4.44 digs a game.
Head coach Christi Kelsey is in her 14th season at Williams, leading the Ephs to the NESCAC Tournament in all 14 years while helping Williams to three NESCAC titles.
--JUMBOS--
