MEDFORD, MA (September 22, 2023) -- First-year right side
Emma Heckman finished with a team and match-best 10 kills Friday evening, as the No. 22 Tufts University volleyball team knocked off Rochester Institute of Technology in straight sets in non-conference action from Cousens Gymnasium. The Jumbos moved back over .500 for the season with scores of 25-22, 25-23 and 27-25.
Heckman came alive in the second and third sets for Tufts, as she finished just one kill shy of her career-high total of 11. The Jumbos also hit a very solid .204 for the match, as seven players had at least four kills in the contest.
The first set was even through the midway point until Tufts rattled off an 8-1 run fueled by a kill, ace and block from junior
Alina Qi to make the score 22-16. RIT (3-9) wouldn't go away though, registering six of the matches' next seven points to take a 23-22 lead. The last two points of the set would come from Heckman, as she hammered down a pair of kills to give the Jumbos the early match edge.
In the second set, Tufts offensive unit had its best percentage of the match but RIT scored six straight points as part of an 8-2 run to take a 16-12 lead after an ace from Jada Lee.
Emma Norman and Heckman helped start a Jumbo rally with back-to-back kills, as the hosts powered back to take a 21-20 lead. The Tigers evened the set at 21-21, but senior Riley Farragher ripped the set-clinching kill with the score 24-23 to put Tufts up 2-0.
The third set was markedly different as Tufts led the entire way, including holding a 21-15 lead after a termination from Norman. The Tigers wouldn't go away though, coming back to take a 24-23 lead on an ace by Jenell Hall. The Jumbos fought off two set points on a kill by first-year
Claire Castor and a service error, as Tufts recorded the final three points to take the victory.
Farragher was overall strong for the Jumbos with five kills and four assisted blocks, hitting .267 on 15 swings, while first-year
Akpevwe Akpoigbe got her first start of her Tufts' career and finished with a career-high five terminations. Qi tallied four kills, three aces and four assisted blocks, while
Tori Goldin and
Cora Cunningham each tallied four kills.
First-year setter
Rianna Liu finished with four aces, 20 assists and four digs, while senior libero
Megan Harrison tallied a match-leading 12 digs as well. Tufts served the ball very well on the night, registering 10 aces.
RIT's Grace Phelan, Samantha Cox and Mia Gerber all had seven kills, while setter Sydney Neff added 24 assists and nine digs in the loss.
Tufts will host three matches Saturday in Cousens Gymnasium, with action starting at 11 a.m. with a pair of neutral site matches before Tufts takes on Susquehanna University at 4 p.m. to finish the day's action. Wesleyan University will take on RIT in the morning at 11 a.m., while RIT and Susquehanna will battle at 1:30 p.m. in the second and middle contest.
--JUMBOS--
