Medford, Mass.-  In a thrilling NESCAC matchup, the Colby College Volleyball team overcame the Tufts University Jumbos in five sets, securing a hard-fought victory (21-25, 25-21, 25-22, 20-25, 15-10). The Mules showed resilience, bouncing back after dropping the first and fourth sets to claim a crucial conference win. With this victory, Colby improved its overall record to 18-1 and its conference record to 7-0, while the Jumbos fell to 9-8 overall and 6-2 in the conference. This pink match was held in support of breast cancer awareness as the Mules donned pink ribbon to show their support to the cause.

Tufts started strong in the first set, taking advantage of early offensive momentum. Colby tried to counter with kills from Olivia Drayden and Cyanne Jones, but Tufts' consistent attack kept the Jumbos in control. Despite a late push from the Mules that closed the gap, including a kill from Sarah Friedrichs and a service ace by Gabby Grujic, Tufts held on to win the set 25-21. Determined to fight back, Colby found their rhythm in the second set. Jordan Lee's excellent distribution allowed kills from multiple players, including LJ Grant and Brady Moseley, as the Mules quickly built a 7-4 lead. Although Tufts kept pace, Colby's strong defensive efforts stymied the Jumbos' attack. Tufts made a late charge, but the Mules held firm to win the set 25-21, evening the match. The third set was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading points early on. A powerful kill by Moseley and a service ace by Reese Loyd gave Colby a slight edge at 10-8, but Tufts responded with a series of kills to tie the set. Colby surged ahead again, with Friedrichs contributing key kills and the defense stepping up with a crucial block by Jones and Moseley. Down the stretch, Colby's serving proved pivotal, as a service ace from Grujic and timely attack errors from Tufts allowed the Mules to clinch the set 25-22 and take a 2-1 lead in the match. Facing a loss, Tufts came out with intensity in the fourth set with a strong Jumbos offense that gave Tufts an early 5-1 lead. Colby fought back but Tufts maintained their advantage and closed out the set 25-20, pushing the match to a fifth and final set. With the match on the line, both teams came out firing in the fifth set. The Mules capitalized on Tufts' errors, including back-to-back bad sets by the Jumbos, to take a 6-3 advantage. Tufts clawed their way back to tie it once again at 6-6 but Colby's offensive depth pushed the Mules ahead 11-9. A block by Friedrichs and Bopp gave Colby a 13-10 lead, and they didn't look back. After a final attack error by Tufts, the Mules sealed the set 15-10, completing the victory.

Overall, Colby tallied 17 kills and 11 service aces throughout the match, showcasing their offensive and defensive strengths.Grant led the Mules with 13 kills and made significant contributions on defense with 19 digs while  Moseley followed closely with 12 kills and 14 digs, showcasing her versatility. Friedrichs added 8 kills and was instrumental at the net with her blocking. Grujic facilitated the offense with 19 assists while also contributing 3 aces while Lee also played a crucial role with 18 assists and 3 service aces. Jones was a defensive powerhouse, recording 10 blocks, while Alexa Peguero and Sydney Bopp added 8 and 6 blocks, respectively. Loyd rounded out the strong serving effort with 2 aces and 17 digs.

With this victory, Colby continues its strong season with resilience and team-wide contributions. The Mules will look to build on this performance as they prepare for their next NESCAC match tomorrow in Lewiston, Maine, against Bates College.