AMHERST, MA - The Amherst College volleyball team opened its 2001 conference slate with a pair of convincing 3-0 wins over Tufts University and Hamilton College as part of a NESCAC quad match Friday night at LeFrak Gymnasium. Tufts later rebounded with a 3-0 (30-12, 30-22, 30-19) win over Middlebury College, while Williams College posted a 3-1 (30-26, 30-21, 26-30, 30-17) victory against Middlebury.

Senior outside hitter Erica Hewes (Pebble Beach, CA) led the way in Amherst's win over Tufts with a match high 10 kills as the Jeffs routed the visiting Jumbos 30-24, 30-12, 30-12. Junior outside hitter Erin Dittus (Brentwood, TN) added eight kills and 12 digs, while first-year setter Annie Hoeksma (Los Angeles, CA) chipped in with seven kills and 10 assists as Amherst improved to 3-0 overall with its pair of wins. Meanwhile, senior setter Meredith DeMeules (Los Angeles, CA) dished out a match-high 13 assists to go along with 12 digs and five kills. Jessica Stewart led the way for Tufts with 11 kills and seven digs.

Hewes posted another match-high with 14 kills in the Jeffs' 30-17, 30-19, 30-22 win over Hamilton. Dittus followed suit with nine kills and 11 digs, followed by DeMeules' six kills and 20 assists and Hoeksma's six kills and 10 assists. Amherst sophomore middle hitter Lauren Wong (San Francisco, CA) was also strong up front with six kills. Barb Dalgish paced Hamilton with 10 kills and seven digs.

All five teams gathered for a collective moment of silence before the start of Friday's action and will do so again on Saturday.

NESCAC quad action will continue on Saturday with the host Jeffs (3-0/2-0) facing Williams (5-0/1-0), and Middlebury (0-2/0-2) squaring off against Hamilton (1-4/0-1) at 11 a.m. Amherst will then face Middlebury, while Williams takes on Tufts (4-1/1-1) at 1 p.m., followed by a 3 p.m. match between Hamilton and Tufts.