MEDFORD, MA (October 3, 2025) -- The No. 25 Tufts University women's volleyball team dropped a tightly contested New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) battle to Williams College on Friday night at Cousens Gym, as the Ephs edged the Jumbos 3–2 (25–22, 24–26, 26–24, 24–26, 15–5).
The match featured four sets decided by two points before Williams pulled away in the decisive fifth frame. With the result, Tufts drops to 11–2 overall and 3–1 in conference play, while Williams improves to 12–1 and 3–1 in the league. Tufts also saw its 10-match win streak snapped on Friday night.
Tufts' balanced attack was led by junior
Emma Heckman, who recorded a team-high 15 kills to go with seven total blocks. Sophomore right side
Maiwenn Kamdje was a force at the net, finishing with 12 kills on .385 hitting along with three blocks. Sophomore setter
Lola Tortorello directed the offense with 24 assists, a career-high, and added three service aces and 14 digs. The double-double was the first of her career.
Sophomore
Ellery Clark had 18 assists as well, while
Claire Castor tallied 11 kills, six digs and six total blocks. Senior
Julia Griffiths was strong with eight kills and five blocks, while junior
Bridget Lonergan recorded a career-high nine rejections.
Defensively, libero
Matsa Shi anchored the back row with 13 digs, while
Becca DePencier Piñero chipped in six more.
The match was a roller coaster throughout. Williams took the opening set 25–22 behind efficient hitting from outside hitter Keely Campuzano, before Tufts rallied in the second, using a 9–3 run midway through the frame to claim a 25–18 win and even the score. The third set featured 10 ties and saw the Ephs narrowly escape 26–24 after fending off two Tufts set points. The Jumbos showed resilience in the fourth, as Heckman and Kamdje combined for key kills down the stretch to force a deciding fifth with a 26–24 victory.
In the final frame, however, Williams grabbed the early momentum and never looked back, racing out to a 10–3 lead and sealing the match 15–5. The Ephs were paced by Campuzano with her 15 kills and while Chi Obi had 12 kills as well. Libero Eve Kaplan stabilized their defense with a match-high 20 digs.
Tufts actually out-blocked Williams 16–9 and cleared the Ephs in total kills (53–60), but the Ephs capitalized on key points late in sets and held the upper hand in fifth-set efficiency. Williams also took advantage of 15 Tufts' service errors.
The Jumbos will return to action tomorrow afternoon at Cousens Gym, hosting Middlebury College at 2 p.m. in another important NESCAC match-up.
--JUMBOS--
