As the volleyball team proved Tuesday, it will not let its rough start mar the entire 2007 campaign.
After dropping four matches in California to start off the season, the Jumbos have now won three of their last four, capped off by a 3-0 annihilation of Gordon College on Tuesday evening. Tufts improved its record to 3-5 on the season.
Riding a high from their first NESCAC win over Hamilton Saturday, the Jumbos were not impressed with the Fighting Scots' 7-3 record - and it showed.
"It is always hard to play a non-NESCAC match midweek," junior Stacy Filocco said. "But we were able to get excited, and that helped us put them away in three."
Tufts not only won in three straight games, but it did so without the help of senior captain Katie Wysham, who rolled her ankle in the first game and had to sit out for the remainder of the match. The senior captain will be sitting out of practice but hopes to return when the Jumbos begin play tomorrow.
Wysham did her part to help the team early on, however. With the score tied 12-12 in the first game, Wysham served five points in a row, including one ace, to put the Jumbos up 17-12 and put the Fighting Scots away for good. Tufts led for the rest of the game.
The second victory came even more easily for the Jumbos, as freshman Dawson Joyce-Mendive led the team with six straight serves.
After winning the first two games, the Jumbos went into the third well aware of their troubles in close-out games. Coach Cora Thompson's squad dropped its third game against Hamilton before winning in four, and it dropped games two and four against Endicott on Sept. 11 before finally closing out the win in five.
This time around, however, Tufts stayed consistent and pulled out the close third game, notching their first three-game sweep of the year, 30-24, 30-19 and 30-27.
"It was key that we proved to ourselves we can stay focused and power through to beat a team in three," assistant coach Marritt Cafarchia wrote in an e-mail to the Daily. "Our team was very focused and continued to work together in order to pull this win out so quickly."
Tufts spread the wealth en route to its third win, as the squad's 45 kills, 41 assists and 51 digs were distributed across the board. Filocco led in kills and digs, with 12 and 15, respectively. Joyce-Mendive followed suit, racking up 10 kills, nine digs and four service aces.
Although other Jumbos' contributions didn't register on the stat sheet, they didn't go unnoticed by their teammates.
"[Freshman] Caitlin Updike came up big when she went in as middle," Cafarchia said. "She has only practiced as an outside, so for her to come in and make an impact as a middle was huge for us. [Junior] Natalie Goldstein also did an excellent job of controlling our back row. She passed great so we could run our offense."
Tufts managed 13 service aces with only five service errors, making it by far their best serving performance of the season.
"We were much more consistent with our serving," Filocco said. "We had more aces and fewer mistakes."
"It is really nice to see the team getting better every time we step out on that court," Cafarchia said. "I believe we will continue to do that, and only good things come when you are improving."
Tufts will participate in the MIT Invitational Saturday, competing in Pool D against three other teams - MASCAC powerhouse Bridgewater State, 7-3 Springfield, and conference rival Bates. The weekend will test the depth and endurance of the young Jumbo team, as it could play as many as three contests Friday.
"We are excited to prove ourselves against some tough New England teams," Filocco said.
