MEDFORD, MA (September 2, 2025) -- Junior
Emma Heckman finished with a match-high 11 kills on just 14 swings, adding five digs, while classmate
Bridget Lonergan had eight kills and three blocks to lead the Tufts University volleyball team to a three-set, season-opening win over visiting Roger Williams University Tuesday evening inside Cousens Gymnasium.
The Jumbos were effective offensively all night, hitting .269 as a team while totaling 45 kills as a squad. The offense came from a bevy of different players, as eight players had three or more terminations.
The early going though was slow for Tufts (1-0), which struggled with the service game due to the extra energy of the opening night contest. Roger Williams (0-4) led 11-7 in the opening frame, but Tufts rallied with an 8-2 run highlighted by back-to-back blocks from senior
Julia Griffiths to take a 15-13 edge. Roger Williams pulled to within one two more times in the set, but a quick 4-1 mini-run powered by two terminations from senior
Emma Norman helped Tufts pull away.
The second set was much like the first as the visiting Hawks led by five in the early going following a kill from Peyton Felix. Trailing 10-5, the Jumbos would score nine of the next 13 points to deadlock the set at 14 thanks to a block from Lonergan and sophomore
Maiwenn Kamdje. The 11-4 run continued until a
Celina Savage finish made it 18-15 for the hosts, but RWU pulled even at 20 after back-to-back hitting errors from Tufts.
The Jumbos though would dig in, chalking up five of the final six points including a set-winning ace by junior
Akpevwe Akpoigbe to double the match edge for the hosts.
The final set would be all Tufts though, using an eight-point run in the opening 10 points to run away for the opening-season win.
In addition to Heckman and Lonergan, sophomore
Keller Mobley added five kills, five digs and two aces, while Akpoigbe tallied four terminations on six attempts. Kamdje tallied four kills and four blocks, and
Claire Castor finished four points in her one set of action.
Junior
Rianna Liu finished with 17 assists and eight digs while setting partner
Ella Norris finished with 14 helpers and eight digs. Tufts got nine digs from sophomore
Dylan Whisenant, and Becca DePencier Pinero also added four digs.
Izzy Unsworth had 10 kills and nine digs to pace the Hawks, while Ava McGonagle dished out 15 assists. RWU hit .133 (29-15-105) for the night, while Tufts led in the points category, 57-37.5, and dig's ledger, 53-37.
The Jumbos will head to Salisbury, MD to take on Salisbury University this Friday, September 5 at 4:30 p.m. in the start of three-match weekend down on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
--JUMBOS--
