Teams: Volleyball: Press Releases

Date: Monday, September 16, 2002
Written by Julie Fox

THOMPSON RECORDS FIRST WIN AS VOLLEYBALL COACH

MEDFORD - After a tough loss to MIT in her first game as a Head Coach, Cora Thompson rebounded this weekend to coach the Tufts University Volleyball team to three straight victories and a United States Coast Guard Academy Invitational title. This marks the second straight year that the team has won the invitational.

Thompson, 24, has been with the Tufts volleyball team for seven years, first as a player, then as an assistant coach. She was a defensive specialist for the team during her playing career, and a member of the 1996 team that qualified for the NCAA tournament her sophomore year. Thompson, who is from Half Moon Bay, California, graduated from the university in 1999, and later earned a master's degree at Tufts in 2001. She also was a four-year starter on the Tufts softball team.

Despite losing three players to graduation, including current assistant and former Tufts star Jessica Stewart, Thompson looks to have a fine group of players returning, as well as several freshmen who are ready to make an impact. Currently, junior Amy Cronin (Kirkland, WA/Interlake) and sophomore Emily Macy (Henderson, NV/Green Valley) lead the team in kills, with 3.2 per game and 2.5 per game, respectively. However, freshmen Courtney Evans (Bellaire, TX/Episcopal) and April Gerry (Holmes, NY/Pawling) are right behind them, averaging 2.1 and 1.7 kills per game. Evans also co-leads the team in service aces with five. Junior Lindsey Moses (San Francisco, CA/San Francisco University HS) has handled most of the setting duties so far and has 93 assists, as well as five service aces to share the lead with Evans.

Since gaining varsity status in 1981 the volleyball team has posted just two losing seasons in its history. This year, with a strong start to the season and with Thompson's familiarity with the university, the team should keep that number at two.

The Jumbos can next be seen this Friday, September 20, as they participate in a New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) weekend at Connecticut College.

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