MEDFORD, Mass. — The Connecticut College women's volleyball team fell in five sets against No. 25 Tufts University on Saturday afternoon in a NESCAC showdown at Cousens Gym.

The Jumbos (14-2 overall, 6-1 NESCAC) rallied from a set down and won by scores of 25-16, 21-25, 16-25, 25-13 and 15-5. Claire Castor led all players with 16 kills as Tufts picked up its third straight win in league play.

Rae Wartelle (Tacoma, Wash.) paced the Camels with 15 kills and a pair of service aces. Grace Anderson (Pawling, N.Y.) chipped in 12 kills while Aubrie Letourneau (Mattapoisett, Mass.) recorded 38 assists and a season-high five kills.

After dropping the first set, Conn turned things around in the second when a kill by Vibha Sheth (Austin, Texas) evened the score at 18-18. She then added blocks on the next two rallies, and Anderson followed with a kill to give the Camels a 21-18 advantage. Wartelle later supplied her fourth kill of the set to even the match at 1-1.

Tufts got out to a 6-1 lead in the third, but Conn responded with five straight points that included two kills from Wartelle to quickly pull even. A pair of 4-0 bursts then gave the Camels a comfortable lead at 15-9, and the visitors closed out the set by winning seven of the final nine points to go up 2-1 in the match.

The Jumbos pulled in front early in the fourth set and never trailed again, forcing the match into a decisive fifth frame. Anderson got the Camels off on the right foot with a kill to start the fifth, but Tufts fired back with five straight points and never looked back. The hosts racked up four aces and three blocks in the stanza and sprinted to the finish.

Sheth finished with eight kills and three blocks while Taylor Merrifield (Honolulu, Hawaii) led all players with 14 digs. 

Conn (8-8 overall, 1-5 NESCAC) will next host Coast Guard Academy on Wednesday, October 15 at 6:00 p.m.