c/o Sterling Rodas

In Play(er) of the Week, our goal is to highlight Wesleyan athletes or segments from games that deserve extra attention. This week, volleyball had a spectacular moment during the team’s Saturday, Nov. 5 matchup against Amherst in the semifinals of the NESCAC Tournament.

The Cardinals entered the NESCAC Tournament with spirits high. Boasting a 21–2 record in the regular season and going 9–1 in NESCAC play, the Red and Black earned the top seed and the right to host the tournament for the first time in the program’s history.

On Friday, Nov. 4, the Cards faced off against eighth-seeded Colby in the quarterfinal round. After Wesleyan won the first two sets (25–20, 25–19), the Mules came back in the third to clinch a 25–18 victory. Coming into the fourth set, the pressure was high, and Colby secured an early lead. But the Cards proved they were more than up to the challenge, and with the aid of a spectacular 6–0 run, they secured a 25–21 victory in the fourth set that sent them to the NESCAC Semifinals, where they would meet fourth-seeded Amherst.

In the next round, the Cards knew the competition would ramp up, but once again proved that they were not going to back down. In the first set, the score remained tight until the Mammoths managed to clinch a narrow 28–26 victory. But the Cards came back in the second fueled by a service ace from Grace Dennis ’23 that gave them an early lead, as well as back-to-back kills by Sophia Lindus ’26 and Bella Ahearn ’23, and won the set 25–3. The Cardinals kept the momentum going in the third set, winning themselves a 10-point lead at 17–10 that the Mammoths could not come back from, and earned a victory in the third 25–19. With the stakes heightening, the fourth set was once again an incredibly close one, but after the Mammoths went 4–1 on a run that brought the score to 21–18, the visitors were able to secure a victory in the fourth that sent the matchup into the fifth set.

c/o Sterling Rodas

With everything on the line, the Cardinals came into the fifth and final set of the match raring to go. They secured an early lead of two points, which gave them immediate strong momentum. A service run from captain Jenna Otaola ’23 brought the score to matchpoint, 14–8, but the Mammoths came back to lower the deficit to just 14–12. Fortunately, the Cardinals proved their commendable endurance under mounting pressure, and with an outstanding combined block by KG Morton ’24 and Kate Long ’24, the Cardinals were able to secure the semifinal victory that sent them to the Championship match.

In the Championship round on Sunday, Nov. 6, the Cards faced off against second-seeded Tufts, whom they had swept 3–0 in their regular season matchup on Sept. 16. Tufts scored back-to-back victories in the first two sets (25–23, 25–20), but the Cards came out strong in the third with a 6–1 scoring run to secure an early lead. The Jumbos kept the pressure and managed to tie up the score 12–12, but the Cards responded with a 5–0 run late in the game to keep their 22–15 set lead, which helped secure a 25–18 set victory. Entering the fourth round, both teams knew it was all or nothing and came out with their utmost intensity. The Jumbos secured a 15–11 lead, with victory seeming imminent. But then, the Cards came back with a 5–1 run and tied the score up 16–16, then even managing to get ahead 25–24. But after three unanswered points and a kill, the Jumbos managed to seal the NESCAC Championship title with a 27–25 victory.

In spite of the loss in the final round of the NESCAC Championships, the Cardinals still have so much to be proud of from their performance in the Tournament. They earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, saw players receive numerous awards and honors for their performances, and proved themselves as a true force to be reckoned with.

Erin Byerly can be reached at ebyerly@wesleyan.edu.