Teams: Volleyball: Press Releases

Date: Wednesday, September 19, 2001
Written by Michael Douglas

STEWART, PITCAVAGE, LEISTIKOW TO CAPTAIN VOLLEYBALL TEAM

MEDFORD -- Seniors Jessica Stewart (Tallahassee, FL/Leon), Megan Pitcavage (Clinton, CT/The Morgan School), and Sarah Leistikow (Lafayette, CO/Centaurus) have been named the 2001 tri-captains for the Tufts University Volleyball team. Their leadership on both the court and the sidelines has played a big role in the team's impressive 6-1 start, including a 3-1 conference record that places the Jumbos in a tie for first in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC).

An outside hitter and fourth-year varsity starter at Tufts, Stewart has been a team leader both offensively and defensively since she first stepped onto the court. A two-time First-Team NESCAC All-Star, she has been one of the conference's best offensive players over the past two seasons, placing second in the NESCAC in kills her sophomore year (3.80 per game) and sixth as a junior (3.53/gm). She has led the Jumbos in kills in all three of her seasons, including 3.06 per game as a freshman. She has also led the team in digs in each of the past two years (2.64/gm in 2000, 2.70/gm in 1999). Through the first seven matches of the 2001 season, the newly-crowned tri-captain Stewart currently leads the team with 3.63 kills per game and 15 blocks (9 solo, 6 ass't), and is second in digs (3.13 per game).

Another fourth-year varsity player and hitter, Pitcavage has been a consistent contributor on both ends of the court. She has raised her level of play in each of her three seasons. Last year she was second on the team with 2.43 digs per game, and one of the team's best servers with a .948 percentage. She also averaged a career-best 1.66 kills per game. This season, she is fourth in both kills (1.96/gm) and digs (2.27/gm), and has posted a .943 serve percentage.

Sadly, the Jumbos lost Leistikow's contributions on the court to an ACL injury last spring, and despite reconstructive knee surgery, she has decided not to compete this year. She will instead be a leader from the sidelines, as she will still attend the team's games.

After successfully capturing the Coast Guard Invitational championship, Coach Kris Talon's squad has built up a 6-1 record. The Jumbos, led by Pitcavage, Stewart, and Leistikow, will try to build on their early-season success as they head to Emmanuel college tonight at 7 pm (Sept. 19).

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