After a season of 19 wins and only six losses, women’s volleyball headed to Amherst College on Friday to play in the quarter-finals of the NESCAC tournament. The Camels went head-to-head with Tufts, but lost a tough 3-0 match. Conn had previously lost to Tufts earlier in the season as well.
Going into the match there was a lot of hype. The Camels looked strong all season long, and hoped to send their seniors off with a memorable tournament run.
“It’s going to be a really exciting game, especially for all the seniors,” said Co-captain Chelsea Manning ’11. “In my four years, [Tufts] are the only team we haven’t beaten, and this will be the only time we have to beat them.”
“We’ve done really well as a team this year,” said co-Captain Marissa DeMais ’11. “We started out very strong, winning the Johnson and Wales Invitational and beating Williams in five at home. We struggled a little bit in the middle of our season, but now we are definitely back on track and ready for the NESCAC weekend.”
“It would mean so much for us to win NESCACs,” DeMais continued. “We work so hard, and we want it so badly. But we know that winning will not validate our season. We have accomplished so much as a team this year and are proud of the success we have had already. Winning NESCACs would just be an incredible way to finish out our season.”
Having a short period of time to prepare for this monumental weekend did not impact the Camels’ confidence.
“We’ve worked really hard this week with some fast-paced, fun practices,” said Manning before heading off to Amherst. “We’re pumped about this weekend. Everyone’s going to bring everything they’ve got.”
However, the match did not go as well as planned. The Camels lost 25-19, 25-23, 25-18. The usually powerful Camels only managed 26 kills as a team, with star Amy Newman ’12 delivering almost half of them with 12.
Ally Terlizzy ’12 and DeMais also played well in the loss. Terlizzy had 5 digs in the match, while DeMais served up 24 assists with 11 digs.
The loss does not automatically end the Camels’ season, however. Because of the team’s wins against Endicott and the Coast Guard Academy on October 23, Conn is in the running for the at- large wildcard bid in the Division III NCAA tournament.
“When I first found out [about the wildcard bid], my immediate reaction was to yell, ‘I’m going to Disneyland!’ Then it occurred to me that we don’t play football. And then things got awkward,” said right-side Sarah Shankel ’14. “But in all seriousness, it’s going to be stupendous.”
Nevertheless, teamwork was the key for the Camels’ success all season, one that they are very proud of.
“Our success is definitely a result of our hard work. We know what it takes to be the best and we try every time we step on the court to reach that. We always work as a team to better each other and ourselves, and I think that shows when we are playing in our more difficult matches,” said DeMais.
Hundreds of Camel fans will be hoping for that at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, but no matter what, it has been a great year for Conn volleyball. Despite the loss this weekend, the team made us proud to don blue-and-white and clap thundersticks together this season. •
