Hoboken, N.J. - November 14, 2014 - The Springfield College women's volleyball team was defeated by Tufts University in three sets in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Championships in the Hoboken Regional at Stevens Institute of Technology on Friday.

Tufts advanced past the Pride to the regional semifinals with a 25-12, 25-11, 25-15 win. For Springfield, this marked their fifth-straight trip to the NCAA Division III Championship, the longest such streak in the storied programs history. The Pride's season came to a close with a 20-11 record.

Elise Brogan (Andover, Mass.) had a team-best five kills, while Kelsey McGayhey (Shelter Island, N.Y.) tallied four kills.  Amy Entel (Berkley, Mass.) produced a team-best 10 digs, and Whitney Miller (Cuba, N.Y.) was credited with 14 assists and seven digs.  Springfield was limited to a -.048 hitting percentage in the match, its lowest of the season.

Tufts hit .344 in the match using double digit kills from Isabel Kuhel, Hayley Hopper, and Maddie Kuppe to pace the attack.  Kuhel led all players with 12 kills at a .706 clip to go along with three blocks and three aces, while Hopper produced 11 kills.  Kuppe chipped in 10 kills, Carolina Berger added 10 digs, and Kyra Baum ran the offense with 32 helpers.

Springfield scored the opening two points of the match and held a 4-3 lead after McGayhey converted cross court in transition.  However, as would be the case for the entire match, the Jumbos put together a huge run, pouring on eight of the game's next nine points to seize an 11-5 cushion.  A Haley DeRoche (Haverhill, Mass.) ace brought Springfield within 15-12, but a Hopper kill on the ensuing point kick started a 10-0 run by the Jumbos to give Tufts a 25-12 win.

The Jumbos continued their momentum to start the second set, scoring the first four points of the frame.  Springfield would battle back, with Brogan hammering a kill to make it a 6-4 contest.  Tufts would take over from that point on, using a 11-1 burst to earn a commanding 17-5 lead.  Tufts, which held Springfield just three kills in the frame, would eventually take the set, 25-11.

The third set proved to be the closest as the Pride finally started to get in a rhythm and Brogan and Hannah Andres (West Barnstable, Mass.) combined for a huge block to put Springfield ahead 3-2 in the early going.  Tufts answered back with a 10-3 run, using three kills and an ace from Kuhel, only to have McGayhey crush a ball cross court to break the spurt, getting Springfield within 13-10.  However, Tufts serving kept the Pride at bay, and thanks to another 10-3 burst, the Jumbos regained a 23-13 cushion before Kuhel closed out the match with her match-best 12th kill.