Teams: Women's Volleyball: Press Releases

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

JUMBOS READY TO MAKE A RUN AT REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AT HOME THIS WEEK

MEDFORD -- The Tufts University volleyball team reaches the culmination of its outstanding 2008 season this week when the Jumbos host a 2008 NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship Regional at Cousens Gym Thursday through Saturday (Nov. 13-15).

Senior Stacy Filocco is an offensive and defensive leader on the team

Coach Cora Thompson's team is the #2 seed in the regional. They will host #7 seed Bridgewater State College in the first round on Thursday night at 8:30 pm. Three other matches will be played earlier on Thurday at 1 pm, 3:30 pm and 6 pm. Friday's semi-final round matches are at 4:30 and 7 pm, with the championship match set for Saturday at 7 pm. Springfield College is the #1 seed, followed by Tufts, Wellesley, Williams, Keene State, Endicott, Bridgewater State and Maine Maritime.

Sixty-one teams overall were selected for the championship. Regional winners will advance to the championship finals to be held November 20-22 at the Shirk Center in Bloomington, Illinois and hosted by Illinois Wesleyan University.

The Jumbos bring a 28-3 record into the NCAA's. They won their first 15 matches, including 3-0 scores over Williams and Wellesley and 3-1 victories against Springfield and Endicott. The Jumbos won the prestigious MIT Invitational for the first time during that run. Their first loss of the season to the Union, also an NCAA Regional host, was followed by nine more straight wins bringing Tufts to 24-1. They lost an epic five-set match to Springfield in the championship match at the Hall of Fame Tournament. They won four more in a row, finishing up the conference schedule 10-0 to take first place. Hosts of the NESCAC Tournament, the Jumbos lost this past Saturday in the NESCAC semi-finals to Williams, 3-2, in front of a raucous home crowd. They hope for more of the same home-court advantage this week.

Ranked #1 in New England for most of the season, the Jumbos are one win shy of the team record. This is the program's third NCAA Tournament berth and the first time as host. Tufts advanced to the NCAA "Sweet 16" in 2005, when this year's senior class were in their first years. The Jumbos defeated Emmanuel and Colby-Sawyer before falling to host Colby in the regional final. Tufts also played in the 1996 NCAA Tournament, with Coach Thompson on the roster as a defensive setter. That squad lost in the first round at Coast Guard.

Junior Dena Feiger has emerged as one of the best setters in the region over the past two seasons

Tufts' depth has been it's strength. Five Jumbos are ranked among the conference top 20 in the hitting statistics of percentage and total kills. Sophomore Dawson Joyce-Mendive (Minden, NV) has 3.52 kills per game and hits at a .257 mark for the season. Classmate Caitlin Updike (Manhattan Beach, CA), who missed time with an ankle injury, is hitting .306 for the season with 2.85 kills per set. Senior tri-captain Kate Denniston (Tarzana, CA) with a .293 hitting percentage, junior Brogie Helgeson (Santa Cruz, CA) at .246 and senior tri-captain Stacy Filocco (Olney, MD) with 2.17 kills per set are also key contributors on offense.

With that arsenal of weapons and a whole lot of talent herself, junior Dena Feiger (Long Grove, IL) is NESCAC's top setter with 10.19 assists per game. She also leads the team with 27 service aces and adds 2.80 digs per set. As usual, senior tri-captain Natalie Goldstein (Piedmont, CA) is one of the league's top defensive players, this year averaging 4.64 digs per game. Filocco has been excellent on defense as well, averaging 2.94 digs. Senior Maya Ripecky (Chicago, IL) has been significant with 23 aces and a 2.87 digs average.

First-years Lexi Nicholas (San Diego, CA) and Cara Spieler (Santa Barbara, CA) have also been regular contributors, with the former's 67 blocks leading the squad and the ladder's 23 service aces tying for second-most on the team.

"I have been so impressed with the work ethic and dedication this team has shown all season," said Thompson, who enters NCAA play with an outstanding 148-48 record in six seasons leading the team. "There has been a "refuse to lose" attitude from the very beginning that has carried us throughout the season. Our four seniors have been a huge part of this team's success by bringing their great leadership qualities, their discipline and their experience to the court every day. The seniors, along with the rest of the team, deserve this incredible season and should enjoy every moment of this great opportunity."

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