BRUNSWICK, ME (October 18, 2025) -- The No. 23 Tufts University volleyball squad fell to host Bowdoin College 3-1 in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) play Saturday afternoon, but rebounded to knock off Marine Maritime Academy 3-0. Tufts fell to the host Polar Bears 25-12, 25-19, 18-25 and 25-19 before knocking off MMA 25-21, 25-16 and 25-10
Match 1: Bowdoin 3, Tufts 1
Sophomore
Maiwenn Kamdje led the Jumbos with 14 kills while hitting .273, and senior
Bridget Lonergan added eight kills and two solo blocks. Senior
Julia Griffiths contributed seven kills on an efficient .400 hitting to bolster the Tufts attack. Setter
Ellery Clark tallied 20 assists and eight digs, while junior
Claire Castor chipped in four service aces and seven digs.
After Bowdoin took control early in the match with strong first and second sets, Tufts answered impressively in the third. The Jumbos hit .355 in that frame, using a balanced offense and steady serving to pull away 25–18 and extend the match. Kamdje and Lonergan combined for eight kills in the set, and Castor served the clinching ace.
Tufts carried momentum into the fourth, jumping ahead 3–0, but Bowdoin's attack steadied late to close out the match.
Defensively,
Matsa Shi anchored the back row with 14 digs, while Griffiths added four blocks.
Match 2: Tufts 3, Maine Maritime 1
The Jumbos put together one of their most efficient offensive performances of the season, hitting .359 as a team while limiting the Mariners to just .057.
Junior
Claire Castor led the way with 12 kills on an outstanding .706 hitting percentage, also adding a service ace and five digs. Junior
Emma Heckman continued her strong play on the right side with eight kills on .533 hitting and two service aces, while first-year
Hazel Nelson contributed three kills, three total blocks, and two aces.
Senior setter
Lola Tortorello guided the attack with 15 assists and eight digs, while classmate
Ellery Clark distributed 11 assists and added four digs. Defensively,
Matsa Shi anchored the back row with nine digs and a service ace, helping Tufts control the tempo throughout.
Tufts set the tone early, closing the opening set on a late surge after Maine Maritime drew even at 18–18. The Jumbos carried that momentum into the second, racing out to a 10–2 advantage and never looking back behind the hitting of Castor and Heckman.
In the third, Tufts dominated from the service line and at the net, hitting .571 as
Dylan Whisenant and Nelson sparked the finishing run.
Akpevwe Akpoigbe added six kills and an ace for the Jumbos as well.
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Tufts (16-4, 6-3 NESCAC) will return to action next Friday, October 24 to take on MIT at Springfield College at 7 p.m.
--JUMBOS--
