In just its second trip ever to the NCAA quarterfinal match on Thursday, the Tufts women’s volleyball team fell in five sets to Southwestern (Tex.). The team ends its season with a 27-4 record, its best since 2009 when the team finished 31-5 after also losing in the NCAA Quarterfinal Round.
The Jumbos' final match was tight all the way, as no set was decided by more than four points.It was a defensive battle, with both teams tallying 116 digs on the day.
In the first set the teams were back-and-forth and the score was tied for much of the period. However, leading 22-21, the Southwestern Pirates scored three straight to finish the set off with a kill from sophomore outside hitter Jamison Duck.
The second set played out similarly, and the score was knotted at 13 after co-captain senior middle hitter Elizabeth Ahrens earned a kill on an assist from sophomore setter Angela Yu. Tufts seemed to have the edge, as it jumped out to a 20-18 advantage on first-year middle hitter Heather Holz's kill, but Southwestern responded with a 7-1 run, the last five points of which came on the serve of junior right side/opposite hitter Kate Mitchell, who sealed the set on a serving ace. The Pirates took a 2-0 set lead in the match, but the Jumbos were not done yet.
Seemingly on the edge of defeat, the Jumbos came out strong in the third set. After a kill from first-year setter Rachel Furash, Tufts led 12-3. The Jumbos expanded their lead to a 23-11 advantage, but the Pirates again responded, this time with a 9-0 run, to trim the lead to just three at 23-20. Tufts scored the next two points and claimed the third set on a kill from Ahrens to begin its comeback effort.
The fourth set started out close as well, before the Jumbos claimed a 12-9 lead on a kill from sophomore outside hitter Mackenzie Bright. Tufts led 22-20 late in the set and went on to score three of the next four points, finishing the set off with a kill from Holz.
Holz was playing for injured senior middle hitter McKenzie Humann in this match. Despite Holz getting limited playing time for most of the season, in this match she posted nine kills along with four blocks and only one hitting error. She also boasted the team’s second best hitting percentage for the game.
"No matter who has officially been on or off the court, everyone is an important component to our success," Humann said. "The fact that our team is so deep in each position is what allows us to maintain our competitiveness during practice and ultimately achieve success in game time."
The fifth set saw Tufts fall behind early, as Southwestern jumped out to a 4-1 lead on a kill from junior middle hitter Piper Sisemore. Bright brought Tufts within one at 9-8, but Southwestern responded with four straight points to extend their lead to 13-8. With their backs against the wall, the Jumbos responded again with a 5-1 run to bring the score to 14-13.The Pirates' lead ultimately proved too much, however, and they clinched the set and the match with a kill from Sisemore.
"We knew from scouts and film that it was going to be a defensive battle and with 234 digs combined I would say it was." coach Cora Thompson told the Daily in an email. "Offensively, it was a challenge for both of our teams to find wood, but I thought our setters gave our hitters great looks and our hitters really challenged the defense to make great plays over and over again. It was a classic battle and one we can walk away from knowing that we fought and absolutely belonged there amongst the best in the country."
Tufts played with an extremely young lineup for much of the season, and there were times during the NCAA quarterfinal match when the team had four first year players and two sophomores out on the court. The youth of the team bodes well for future seasons and displays the potential this team has under Thompson, who won her fifth NESCAC Coach of the Year award this season as well as Northeast Region Coach of the Year.
"I'm excited to have three more years with our freshman class," first-year right side hitter Christina Nwankpa said. "I'm excited to see our drive to get back to the tournament again, because I think we can definitely get back."
For seniors Ahrens, Humann, and outside hitter Mary Maccabee, Thursday was their last match as Jumbos. Ahrens was awarded All-American honorable mention honors along with All-Northeast Region team recognition. Humann received an AVCA All-Region honorable mention.
"I want to give our seniors and our other five returning players a lot of credit for how well they set this program up for success," coach Thompson told the Daily in an email. "Out of the gates in August, they welcomed our seven rookies and helped them adjust to life not only at Tufts but as a student-athletes as quickly as possible knowing that our success as a group depended on it."
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article had the headline, "Jumbos bow out in NESCAC Quarterfinal Round," rather than "Jumbos bow out in NCAA Quarterfinal Round." The article has been updated accordingly. The Daily regrets this error.
Jumbos bow out in NCAA Quarterfinal Round
