Box Score MEDFORD, Mass. – Playing at home for the first time since the beginning of September, the Tufts volleyball team picked up a three set win over visiting NESCAC rival Connecticut College in Cousens Gym on Friday night.
With the win the Jumbos move to 5-3 this season with a 2-1 mark in conference play. The Camels are now 4-4, with an 0-3 mark in conference play after opening up their conference slate with Amherst, Williams and Tufts—the teams that finished one-two-three in last year's NESCAC standings.
Senior Maddie Kuppe led the Jumbos with 11 kills, 13 digs, two aces and a block. First-year Mackenzie Bright added eight kills, while senior co-captain Esme Nulan finished with six kills and two blocks. Senior Kyra Baum and first-year Angela Yu ran the offense, totaling 16 and 15 assists, respectively.
For the Camels the offensive leader was sophomore Sam Hunter who finished with nine kills, while first-year Jenny Kellogg added eight kills. Senior Caroline Martin lead the defense with eight digs and sophomore Katia Elisman added seven digs. Elisman took care of the setting for the Camels, finishing with 28 assists.
The Jumbos jumped out to an early lead in the first set, and keep that lead for the duration of the set. The hosts scored four consecutive points three different times in the set and lead by four or more points for the entire first frame, moving to a 25-15 win.
The second set was much different as it was tied various times and it took extra points to determine a winner. The Jumbos never lead by more than four points and the Camels tied and took the lead several times. But, consecutive kills by junior Elizabeth Ahrens and sophomore Alex Garrett gave the Jumbos the 27-25 win in set two.
Things were close to start the third set, but the Jumbos scored five points behind the serve of Kuppe to take a 9-3 lead and were able to maintain the lead for the rest of the set. The Jumbos were leading 19-13 and once again scored five points behind Kuppe's serve to move to a convincing 24-13 lead. A kill by sophomore Wendy Dyer secured the third set win for the Jumbos.
The Camels will be back in action tomorrow as they travel to play Anna Maria and Daniel Webster.
Camel Tracks Not Including Friday Night's Match
The Camels played two close matches against perennial conference powers in Amherst and Williams last week. Connecticut College sophomore setter Katia Elisman (Lake Forest, Ill.) averaged 7.88 assists and 2.88 digs/set in the two conference matches. Elisman dished out 39 assists while adding 12 digs and a pair of blocks in a close 3-2 loss against #21 Williams September 19.
She had 24 assists, 11 digs and an ace in a loss at Amherst on the 18th. Elisman is ranked fourth in the NESCAC with 9.04 assists per set (235 assists). Junior Ella Johnson (Seal Beach, Calif.) has buried 50 kills and is 10th in the conference with a .259 hitting percentage. Seniors Caroline Martin (Palo Alto, Calif.) and Cailyn Straubel (Dallas, Texas) are ranked 1-2 on the squad with 75 and 66 digs each.
