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The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Thursday, March 28, 2024

Jumbos clinch NESCAC regular season title, improve to 18-1

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With two more conference wins over the weekend against Colby and Bates, Tufts improved to 18-1 on the season and 9-0 in conference play, clinching first place in the NESCAC. Tufts' only remaining conference matchup this season is against Connecticut College on Oct. 29, the last match of its regular season. Connecticut College currently sits at fifth place in the NESCAC with a 4-3 conference record.

If the Jumbos win that match, they will complete a perfect regular season in the conference. The last team to accomplish that was Williams in 2013, and Tufts last did it in 2008. That 2008 team advanced to the NCAA tournament regional match before it was eliminated by Wellesley.

On a doubleheader Saturday in Cousens Gym, Tufts won both its matches against Colby and Gordon Colleges.Gordon dropped to 11-11 on the season with the loss. Tufts defeated Gordon in straight sets, 25-13, 25-13 and 25-20. Sophomore outside hitter Mackenzie Bright led the Jumbos with 11 kills, while first-year opposite/middle hitter Christina Nwankpa and senior middle hitter McKenzie Humann added six each. Their effort was not just offensive, as Nwankpa and Humann both notched three blocks apiece in the match as well. Humann's 1.05 blocks per set ranks her third in the NESCAC.

Tufts won in four sets in its conference matchup against Colby, taking the first set 25-14 and dropping the second 25-23 before winning the next two to claim the match.

The Jumbos jumped out to a 19-11 lead in the first set when Bright stepped up to serve. Bright proceeded to serve four aces in five tries, propelling Tufts to the first set win. Junior defensive specialist Alex Garrett typically serves for the Jumbos, but the ability Bright demonstrated against Colby will be hard to ignore in the playoffs and presents coach Cora Thompson with a tough choice of whom to play.

Tufts dropped the second set after falling behind 10-5 early and was unable to mount a comeback. However, the team's play in sets three and four was much more focused, and it dominated both sets, 25-9 and 25-15, respectively. First-year outside hitter Brigid Bell, junior outside hitter/opposite Katie Kim and Bright all added ten kills on the day. The Jumbos finished the match with 17 total service aces, with Bright contributing four. Colby dropped to 4-17 overall and 0-8 in conference play with the loss, though it defeated Gordon earlier that day for a fifth win.

Tufts defeated Bates on Friday in straight sets, winning 25-10, 25-19 and 25-14. The first set started off back and forth until Tufts jumped out to a 16-6 lead behind Bell's serve and was able to coast through the remainder of the set. Tufts trailed for most of the second set before knotting things up at 15-15. The Jumbos managed to regain the lead and push through to take the second set. Sophomore setter Katie Zheng finished the Bobcats off in the second set with an ace to reach 25. Tufts started slowly in the third set but after tying it up at 9-9, continued its momentum toward the win.

Senior co-captain middle hitter Elizabeth Ahrens led the team with 13 kills on 15 attempts for an impressive .867 hitting percentage. She leads the NESCAC with a .354 hitting percentage on the season. Zheng added 21 assists to sophomore setter Angela Yu's 19. Bates earned just 23 assists on the day. Bates is now 6-12 on the season and 3-5 in NESCAC play.

The first-year players continue to fill a large role for Tufts and look more comfortable with each new match. Their quick development and integration into the team must be partially attributed to the mentorship of the older players.

“The upperclassmen have been great; they are so welcoming and easy to talk to,” Nwankpa said. “If they don’t see you doing something right, they help you in a positive way … it’s nothing to be afraid of, so it’s been great.”

In clinching the NESCAC regular season title, Tufts guaranteed that the conference championship tournament will return to Cousens Gym this year. Tufts last hosted the tournament two years ago during the 2014 season. The Jumbos, having dropped only four out of the 34 sets they have played at Cousens so far this year and having won every home match, have secured what appears to be a large home-court advantage.

Despite the successful season Tufts is having, the team is making sure they do not get complacent or overconfident.

“We know that if we play our game and we don’t let the other team affect us, then we can be successful,” Ahrens said. “But we don’t talk about our record.”

Tufts looks forward to four non-conference matchups this week, playing at Wellesley on Wednesday and at home against Springfield on Friday. Both games are at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Tufts will travel to MIT for another doubleheader, with matches against MIT and Babson starting at 10:30 a.m.