Medford, Mass. - October 25, 2024 - In the first match of the 2024 New England Challenge, the Springfield College women's volleyball team was bested by host Tufts University in four sets.  The Jumbos prevailed by the set scores of 28-26, 19-25, 25-19, 25-15.

Tufts moved above .500 with the victory to improve to 10-9 while Springfield dipped to 15-6.

Riley Donahue (South Windsor, Conn.) tied for match-high honors with 11 kills, Maeve Voltz (Bay Shore, N.Y.) produced 10 kills and three blocks, and Olivia Nealy (Athens, Ga.) led all players with 13 digs. 

After going down 7-3 to begin the first set, Springfield would battle its way back to take an 18-17 lead on a kill by Ahunna James (Plainville, Mass.).  The teams would trade points until a kill from Donahue and miscue by the Jumbos gave Springfield set point at 24-22. However, the visiting Pride was unable to convert on four set points as back-to-back blocks by the Jumbos sealed the 28-26 win.  The stanza would feature 11 ties as each team had 17 kills, with Donahue putting away six balls for the Pride. 
 
Tufts would score three of the first four points of the second, only to have Springfield rattle off a 4-1 burst to take an early 5-4 edge. Leading 11-9, James would convert for a kill and then go to the end line to key a four-point scoring run as Springfield's lead ballooned to 16-9.  Tufts would get as close as 20-16, but out of a Pride timeout, a Jumbos service error and ace by Kristen DeLorenzo (Syracuse, N.Y.) pushed Springfield's cushion back to six points and they would pull away for the 25-19 victory.  Springfield hit .280 in the set and held the hosts to a .081 hitting percentage.

The Jumbos manufactured an early 5-1 push in the third set to own a 10-5 edge, but Voltz would connect on a pair of kills to bring Springfield within 13-12 and force the hosts into a timeout.  Natalie Billet (Commack, N.Y.) would knot up the set with a kill out of the break, but the Jumbos would score the next five points to take over as it rolled to a 25-19 win of its own. 

Despite trailing 10-4 in the fourth, Springfield would score seven-straight points, as back-to-back kills in transition from Jodi Saelua (Mililani, Hawaii) gave Springfield an 11-10 lead.  However, Tufts would score the next three points and ultimately put together a set-ending 15-4 surge to earn the non-conference win. It was Tufts that hit .379 in the final set, while Springfield committed eight attack errors for a .083 team clip. 

On Saturday, Springfield will play a pair of critical matches versus Middlebury and Williams at MIT beginning at 11 am as it concludes the New England Challenge.

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