AMHERST, MA - The Amherst College volleyball team swept a pair of matches to tip off the 11-team Amherst Volleyball Classic on Friday, downing Rhode Island College and NESCAC rival Colby College by matching 3-0 scores. Tournament action will continue on Saturday, with gold, silver and bronze medal bracket matchups and times determined by Friday's results.
In the opener against Rhode Island College - which the Jeffs won by scores of 30-21, 30-14 and 30-13 - senior co-captain Meredith DeMeules (Los Angeles, CA) and first-year setter Nicole Davidson (Los Angeles, CA) each dished out 20 assists and finished with 12 and 9 digs, respectively. Junior outside hitter Erin Dittus (Brentwood, TN) took advantage with a match-high 11 kills, while senior co-captain Erica Hewes (Pebble Beach, CA) added 10 kills and three blocks. Rhode Island College senior tri-captain setter Kim Lebrun finished with 13 digs, nine assists and three kills in defeat.
The Jeffs posted similar results against Colby, sweeping the match 30-25, 30-17 and 30-15. Hewes exploded with a match-high 15 kills and the Jeffs had three players post double figure assist totals - Dittus with 17, first-year setter Annie Hoeksma (Los Angeles, CA) with 13 and DeMeules with 12. Junior defensive specialist Irene Lee (Fullerton, CA) chipped in with 15 digs, as Amherst improved to 7-1 overall with the pair of non-league wins. Sophomore outside hitter Johanna Schroeder paced Colby with a team-high 10 kills and eight digs.
In other action, M.I.T. came from behind to top Trinity College, 3-1 (26-30, 30-21, 30-21, 30-15), Wesleyan University edged Tufts University, 3-2 (30-21, 25-30, 30-22, 22-30, 15-10), Tufts swept Plymouth State College, 3-0 (30-17, 30-15, 30-18), Western Connecticut State University downed St. Lawrence University, 3-0 (30-18, 30-19, 30-20) and Gordon College blanked Rhode Island, 3-0 (30-20, 30-24, 30-14). In Friday's late matches, Colby topped Gordon, 3-1 (30-27, 30-27, 25-30, 30-26), Wesleyan blanked Plymouth St., 3-0 (30-25, 30-23, 30-17), Trinity outlasted Western Connecticut, 3-1 (23-30, 31-29, 30-24, 31-29) and M.I.T. shut out St. Lawrence, 3-0 (30-23, 30-17, 30-24). Saturday's matches are scheduled for 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
