The volleyball team had an impressive showing on the opening evening of the MIT Invitational on Friday night, defeating the 27th-ranked Springfield College Pride and the Vassar College Brewers. The team advanced to the gold medal round on Saturday, but was defeated by NESCAC rivals Williams and Connecticut College. The Cardinals took 4th out of 15 teams in the tournament, and setter Ellie Healy ’10 earned a spot on the six-player all-tournament team.
The Cardinals had a tough draw in the tournament, getting placed in the competitive “C” division and taking on Springfield 9-1 in the first match of the tournament. Wesleyan entered the match just 1-6 all-time against Springfield, with the win coming in 2005 by a 3-2 score in the teams’ last meeting. The Cards proved to be up to the challenge, however, and shocked the Pride in 4 sets. Wesleyan dropped a competitive first set 21-25, but came back in the second to win 26-24. The third frame was another nail-biter, but the Cardinals came out on top 25-23. Wesleyan sealed the upset with a 25-14 victory in the fourth set.
In the second match of the day, the Cards continued their hot streak and swept the Vassar Brewers 9-2. Coming off the huge win against Springfield, the Cardinals came out strong, winning the first set 25-21, and then dominating the second set 25-14. In the third frame the Cards came away with a narrow victory, clinching the match with a 28-26 win. Wesleyan has now won three straight against the Brewers, including a 3-0 victory in Poughkeepsie in 2008.
Because of the Cards’ stellar performance on Friday they were one of four teams to move into the championship bracket in day two. In the first match they took on perennial powerhouse and Little Three rival Williams, but were unable to ride their three-match winning streak to another victory, as the Ephs took the match in three sets. The Cards were neck and neck with Williams in the first set, battling valiantly but eventually falling 26-24. The second and third sets were less competitive, and Williams took them 25-17 and 25-16.
In the third-place match, Wesleyan took on NESCAC rival Connecticut College, which had lost in the morning to eventual tournament champion Tufts. The Camels came out strong and didn’t let up, winning 25-20, 25-9, 25-11. Because of those outcomes Wesleyan finished the tournament in fourth place.
There were some key individual performances, especially from Healy, who was one of five NESCAC players named to the all-tournament team. Over the four matches and 14 sets Healy amassed 115 assists, 36 digs, three aces, and 12 kills. Sophomore Casey Reed continued her impressive season, racking up a team-high 45 kills in the tournament, and Ashley Farrow ’10 was right behind her with 41. Libero Ruby Hernandez ’11 racked up 67 digs to lead the Cards’ defensive efforts.
The team returns to action on Wednesday by hosting Western Connecticut State University, followed by a pair of weekend matches against Colby and Bates.