MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – Involved in a match that went into a fifth set for the first time this season, the No. 14 ranked Wesleyan volleyball team suffered a 3-2 defeat (22-25, 25-21, 25-21, 22-25, 12-15) at the hands of Tufts on Friday night from Silloway Gymnasium. The loss snaps a 10-match win streak for Wesleyan (18-2, 8-1 NESCAC) while the Jumbos (19-5, 7-3 NESCAC) have clinched at least the #4 seed for the upcoming NESCAC Tournament.
 
In an epic match between two of the top teams in the region, Tufts controlled play throughout the first set, with the Cardinals never holding a lead throughout the entire frame. The Jumbos hit .244 in the opening set, using 17 kills including six from Maiwenn Kamdje to lead the way. Wesleyan still managed to tie the score at 19-19 but a crucial 5-1 Jumbo run followed in a 25-22 opening set win.
 
After hitting .094 in the first set, the Cardinals' offense came to life in the second set with 12 kills and just three errors on 38 attempts, hitting .237. Wesleyan still had to deal with a Tufts offense that was rolling, piling up 16 more kills with a .244 attack percentage in the second set. After trailing 19-12, Tufts clawed their way back to a tie score thanks to a 9-2 run, only to see the Cardinals rattle off four unanswered points to close out a 25-21 set win.
 
The third set saw Tufts in control late, leading 20-17, only to see the Jumbos' offense come undone with five attack errors and a set error. Wesleyan took full advantage of the miscues, scoring eight of the final nine points of the set to claim the 25-21 win.
 
The Jumbos again went ahead early, leading 10-5 in the fourth set and later holding a 17-14 advantage, only to see the Cardinals come roaring back yet again. After a Mila Chan '28 kill and Elliana Moreno '27 ace, three straight Tufts attack errors made it 19-17 Cardinals. Wesleyan later led 21-19 when a crucial sequence saw a Sophia Lindus '26 serve mishandled by the Jumbos and what would have been a 22-19 Cardinal lead instead was met with a whistle and replay point was given by the head referee. Following that replay of point, Tufts responded with a 6-1 run, sending the match into a fifth set with a 25-22 win.
 
In yet another back-and-forth set, the Jumbos jumped out to a 4-2 lead, only to see Wesleyan respond with a 5-1 run to take a two-point lead. Tufts then answered with four unanswered points while Wesleyan retook the lead with three straight points. Several long rallies ensued, and the Jumbos landed two key points on free balls, with the Cardinals not reacting in time to start their attack sequence. Rianna Liu landed the final blow with a kill that saw Tufts take the match on a 15-12 fifth set triumph.
 
Lindus led the Cardinals with 19 kills and 10 digs while Chan finished with 10 kills. Adrienne Nguyen '28 totaled 14 digs on the night to lead the team while Elliana Moreno '27 finished with 12 digs. India Clark '28 posted a team-leading six total blocks.
 
Wesleyan is still in control of its destiny in the NESCAC standings as the Cardinals take on Bates on Saturday at 2 PM in the regular season finale. A win over the Bobcats would clinch the #1 seed for the Cardinals in the NESCAC Tournament.