Cambridge, Mass. - October 21, 2022- In the opening match of the New England Challenge, the Springfield College women's volleyball team was edged by host Tufts University in four sets on Friday night.  The Jumbos won by the scores of 25-9, 25-20, 20-25, 27-25. 

Ranked 25th nationally in the most recent AVCA Division III Poll, Tufts is now 14-4 on the year, while the Pride had its eight-match winning streak snapped and dipped to 16-5.

Riley Donahue (South Windsor, Conn.) totaled a team-best 12 kills in the setback and Ally Townsend (Hummelstown, Pa.) added 15 digs and three aces. Maeve Voltz (Bay Shore, N.Y.) and Natalie Billet (Commack, N.Y.) combined for 19 kills and eight blocks and Megan Kirtyan (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) contributed 34 assists and four aces.

Tufts raced out to a 10-3 lead in the opening set and cruised to a 25-9 victory in a frame where the Pride only hit at a -.071 clip.  Springfield would score the first four points of the second set and own a 13-12 edge following a big swing from Donahue.  Tufts would respond 9-2 surge en route to a 25-20 victory as it produced 16 kills at a .452 hitting percentage in the stanza.

The Pride again scored the first four points of the third set and seized an 8-3 edge as the hosts called for a timeout. Voltz, Donahue, and Billet would each account for three kills, while both Voltz and Billet had four blocks assists in helping Springfield deliver a 25-20 win to force a fourth set. 

The fourth set featured nine ties and five lead changes.  Tufts would own a 17-12 advantage late in the game, only to have Springfield battle back to earn set point at 24-23 on a great swing in transition from Voltz.  Tufts would fight off a pair of set points before ending the match with a three-point surge en route to the 27-25 victory. 

Springfield will continues its important weekend of non-conference play as it takes on Middlebury and Williams on Saturday at MIT.

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