Tufts volleyball won all three of its games this weekend in dominant fashion, sweeping all nine sets played over the weekend against Brandeis University, Wheaton College and Westfield State, to go 3-0 at the 2013 Hall of Fame Invitational.
We really stayed mentally focused this weekend, junior tri-captain Jessica Ingrum said. We kept the pace fast on our side of the net, and this allowed us to execute well through all the games.
Tufts improved its record to 17-7 after taking both games of Saturdays doubleheader, beating Wheaton in the first game at Smith College and Westfield State in the late game at Mount Holyoke. Wheaton lost for the fourth time in a row and saw its record fall to an even .500 (14-14). First-year Mary Maccabee was errorless while compiling 10 kills in 21 attempts. Sophomore Carolina Berger was a force on defense, leading Tufts with 12 digs. Berger also contributed three of the Jumbos eight service aces.
Tufts completed its perfect weekend at Mount Holyoke College by taking down the Owls 25-14, 25-19 and 25-8. The standout performances for the Jumbos came from Maccabee, who once again paced the team in kills with seven, along with junior Isabel Kuhel and sophomore Esme Nulan, who notched six kills apiece. First-year Emily Reder was the service leader with three aces, and junior Rebecca Rubin topped Tufts with six digs.
Head coach Cora Thompson explained that the key to success this weekend was staying consistent and preventing unforced errors. Controlling the tempo of the matches also helped lead the Jumbos to victory.
This was especially true in Fridays opening match of the invitational against Brandeis, where Tufts beat the Judges for the second time this season and handed them their sixth straight loss. None of the sets were particularly close, with the Jumbos winning all three by at least eight points. Nulan stepped up to lead the offense with a team-high 10 kills. She also supplied three of Tufts seven service aces in the match. Kuhel chipped in seven kills with just one error in 13 attempts. Kuhel was named to the Hall of Fame Invitational All-Tournament team for the second straight season.
Tufts has now won five games in a row its longest winning streak of the season with four of those wins coming in sweeps. The Jumbos appear to be playing their best volleyball of the year as the season winds down and are showing improved chemistry and balance on the court.
Our team is certainly connecting better, Thompson said. They are playing stronger, more confident volleyball, and our versatility has improved. Many players have experience in different positions now, which is allowing us to be flexible with our line-ups.
With just two more games remaining on their schedule, Tufts will look to end its season on a high note by continuing their run of strong play during Saturdays doubleheader against Colby and Simmons. Both games will be at home, where the Jumbos are 9-2 this year.
The Jumbos have all but guaranteed a spot for themselves in the postseason, as their 6-3 in-conference record has them positioned in fourth place in the NESCAC. Regardless of where they officially finish, Tufts is still focused on ending the regular season on a high note before moving on to the NESCAC playoffs set, to kick off on Nov. 8.
We want to take it one day at a time, Ingrum said. We will prepare this week for Colby and Simmons and be ready for them when the time comes. We still want to work hard to improve and play at an even higher level than we are now.
