MEDFORD, MA (November 8, 2024) -- The Tufts University women's volleyball team will open up the 2024 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Tournament Saturday evening at 6 p.m. at home in Cousens Gymnasium, hosting sixth-seed Williams College. The Jumbos come into the weekend winner's in four of their last five and two straight after last week's 3-0 NESCAC win over Wesleyan University finish the regular season.
Game Details
Tournament Website
Opponent: vs. Williams College (13-10, 7-3 NESCAC)
Date: Saturday, November 9, 2024
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Medford, Massachusetts
Live Coverage:
LIVE STATS –
LIVE VIDEO
Ephs vs. Jumbos All-Time
The Jumbos hold a slight 27-22 series lead against Williams all-time dating back to 1989, as the Jumbos have won five of the last six meetings with Williams. The two squads have played each other nine previous times in the NESCAC Tournament, with the Ephs holding a 6-3 edge. These two squads met in the NESCAC semifinals last year with Williams earning a 3-0 victory, while Tufts has won both quarterfinal match-ups in 2021 and 2011. Earlier this season, Tufts knocked off Williams in four sets with scores of 25-12, 25-20, 21-25 and 25-18. In that match,
Claire Castor and
Emma Heckman each finished with 12 kills to pace Tufts.
A Look At The Jumbos (13-10, 7-3 NESCAC)
Tufts will be in search of its fourth all-time NESCAC Tournament crown and third since 2019, as the No. 3 seed has won the NESCAC Tournament two times in the past in 2006 and 2000, both by Amherst College. Bowdoin was the last No. 3 seed to make the NESCAC finals back in 2018.
The Jumbos come into the weekend ranked No. 2 in the NESCAC in total points with 16.71 per match, while the Jumbos hitting percentage of .175 ranks No. 7 in the NESCAC. The Jumbos are third in the league in kills per set with 12.53, and also are No. 2 in the conference in blocks per set with 2.16 a stanza. Tufts has done well in serve receive with the league's second-best percentage of aces against.
First-year
Maiwenn Kamdje leads the Jumbos in hitting percentage with a .296 clip, ranking No. 8 in the league while sophomore
Emma Heckman is 18th in the league in hitting with a .241 percentage. Heckman ranks No. 10 in kills per set with 2.74, and sophomore
Claire Castor is 19th at 2.27 kills a set.
Castor is also 10th in the NESCAC in aces with 33, while
Julia Griffiths ranks first in the conference in blocks per set with 1.25, 11th best in the nation. Tufts is 10-0 this season when hitting over .200 in a match this year.
A Look At The Ephs (12-10, 5-5 NESCAC)
Williams leads the NESCAC in total conference titles won with 11, though the Ephs have not won a conference crown since 2014. The Ephs would be the first No. 6 seed to win the NESCAC title if they climb through the bracket, but they did get to the title game as a No. 6 last year in 2023.
Williams is coming into Saturday's affair after two road NESCAC wins last weekend, defeating Hamilton College and Amherst College in four sets each to earn the No. 6 seed. Prior to that, Williams was 0-3 at the New England Challenge. Williams has hit .170 for the season, which ranks No. 9 in the conference, while ranking No. 9 in blocks with 1.70 per set. Williams has a strong pair of offensive threats in Keely Campuzano and Annaliese Fricke, as Campuzano is No. 6 in the conference in kills per set with 3.00. Fricke is right behind her with 2.75 a game, while Tatum Baker also rattles home 2.43 kills a game.
Morgan Daetz is fifth in the league in assists per set with 7.18, and Kami Israelski has a team-best 44 aces on the season to rank No. 3 in the conference. Libero Sidra Wohlwend is No. 5 in the NESCAC in digs with 4.18 a game.
Rest of the Tournament
Top-seed Colby College will host Conn. College at 2 p.m. in Waterville, while No. 7 Bowdoin College will travel to Middlebury College for a 3 p.m. battle. No. 4 Wesleyan will also host No. 5 Trinity College in an all-Connecticut tilt at 3 p.m. The semifinals and finals will be at the highest remaining seed next weekend on November 15-16, and the bracket will be reseeded following quarterfinal action.
--JUMBOS--
