MEDFORD, MA (November 20, 2025) -- The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) postseason All-NESCAC awards were released on Thursday morning, and head coach
Cora Thompson and her assistants earned Coaching Staff of the Year while four Jumbos chalked up league laurels for the 2025 campaign.
The Tufts staff of head coach
Cora Thompson (23rd season) and assistants
Resa Provanzano and
Grace Krumpack were honored by their peers as the NESCAC Coaching Staff of the Year. It is the ninth time in Thompson's career that the staff has been recognized with the award. The Jumbos, who have qualified for every NESCAC Tournament, earned the No. 4 seed and finished as the NESCAC Champion, winning the title for the fourth time. The Jumbos received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and were selected to host a regional.
The Jumbos also saw two players earn All-NESCAC First Team in junior outside hitter
Claire Castor and sophomore
Maiwenn Kamdje, while juniors
Rianna Liu and
Emma Heckman were Second Team honorees.
Castor, who was a 2024 Second Team award winner, has been the consistent force for the Jumbos this season both offensively and defensively. Castor is third on the team in kills with 241 this season, averaging 2.56 terminations per set, while also posting 32 aces and 196 digs on the campaign. She has seven double-doubles on the year, and has registered 10 or more kills in five of the last six matches for Tufts.
Kamdje has taken over as the go-to offensive producer on the right side, as the southpaw has posted 266 terminations so far this season. Kamdje is among the league leaders in hitting percentage at .285 on the season, while also adding 55 blocks on the year. Kamdje has totaled seven straight matches with 10 or more kills, finishing with 19 terminations in the final regular season match victory over Wesleyan University.
Heckman repeated on the Second Team this season, as she has totaled 261 kills while hitting a very solid .239 for the campaign. Liu, who has been named as a two-time NESCAC Player of the Week, has been the spark for the offense this season as she has dished out 5.77 assists per set in the 6-2 offense for Tufts. The junior setter also has 33 aces on the season, and has posted nine double-doubles this year.
The four All-NESCAC players matches the most since the 2022 season for the Jumbos.
Conference coaches selected Colby junior Brady Moseley as the NESCAC Player of the Year, while Wesleyan junior Elliana Moreno was named the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year, and Bowdoin first-year Zoe Ryu earned NESCAC Rookie of the Year.
--JUMBOS--
