MIDDLEBURY, VT (May 1, 2026) -- The No. 17 Tufts University women's tennis team, playing as the No. 5 seed in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Tournament, were unable to get its momentum going on Friday morning in the conference quarterfinals in falling 4-1 to No. 4 seed Amherst College at Middlebury College. 

The Jumbos (12-6) will now await an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament field, announced on Monday , May 4 at noon on NCAA.com. 

Tufts started fast in doubles and looked poised to take the doubles' point as the No. 1 duo of Brooklyn Bindas and Natalie Hu cruised to an emphatic 6-1 win over Lily Dounchis and Cody Huang to put the Jumbos up. Amherst battled back with a win at No. 2, and ended up securing the doubles' point at the No. 3 position as Sophie Diop and Greta Stchschulte defeated first-years Kyra McCandless and Alyssa Khou 6-2. 

The Mammoths upped their lead early in singles with a victory for Tina She at the No. 1 spot, as she defeated Tufts senior Lucy Mitchell 6-0, 6-3 to make it 2-0. The lead became 3-0 after a straight set win at No. 4 for Stechschulte, but Hu kept the Jumbos alive at No. 6 as she knocked off Sameera Talwar 6-4, 6-2 to make it 3-1. 

Minutes later though Amherst would pick up the victory at No. 3 singles as Ellie Gershaw fell to Huang 6-4, 6-3 to end the Tufts' comeback. The final two matches still going were abandoned after the match had been decided. 

Amherst advances to take on top-seed Wesleyan University Saturday at 11 a.m. in Vermont.