Teams: Volleyball: Press Releases

Date: Friday, Nov. 9, 2001
Written by Julie Fox

STEWART NAMED FIRST TEAM ALL-NEW ENGLAND

MEDFORD - Just days after she was named to the All-Conference First Team, Tufts University senior outside hitter Jessica Stewart (Tallahassee, FL/Leon) of the volleyball team was named a New England Women's Volleyball Association First-Team All-Star for the 2001 season.

Stewart closed out her excellent career when the Jumbos fell to Bates College, 3-2, on Nov. 2 in the first-round of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) tournament loss. Head Coach Kris Talon's team finished 20-12 overall, their first 20-win season since 1998.

Stewart has consistently led the Jumbos throughout her four years, culminating in an official leadership role this year as she was a tri-captain of the team. This season she led the team in kills (3.85 per game) and service aces (.629 per game), and was second on the team in digs (3.41 per game) and blocks (.612 per game). In addition she ranked seventh in the NESCAC in kills and tenth in the NESCAC in digs.

Stewart has led the team in many statistical categories during her career, and she has been All-NESCAC for each of her four years at Tufts. As a freshman in 1998 she was named to the Second Team All-NESCAC and was named NESCAC Rookie of the Year. She also was named All-New England Honorable Mention that year. As a junior in 2000, she was named to the All-New England Second-Team. For the past three years Stewart was named First Team All-NESCAC, and deservingly so. She has led the Jumbos in kills during each of her four seasons, and has been in the top ten in the NESCAC in kills for the past three years. She has either led the team or has been second on the team in digs and service aces for the past three seasons.

At 20-12, the 2001 Jumbos finished with the team's best record during Stewart's career. They went into the NESCAC tournament, which included the top eight teams in the conference, last weekend ranked fourth with a league record of 7-3. They lost to the fifth seed, Bates, in an extremely close match. Two of the five games (32-30, 30-27, 32-34, 25-30, 11-15) were determined only by the minimum two points.

Despite the disappointing end to her senior season, Stewart finished her career as one of the top players in Tufts history.

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