MIDDLETOWN, Conn. - The Trinity College volleyball season came to an end this evening with a 3-0 setback against the Tufts University Jumbos in the quarterfinals of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Championship Tournament at Wesleyan University.  The Bantams, seeded No. 7 in the eight-team tournament, finish the year at 9-14.  No. 2-seeded Tufts improves to 19-5 and will play in a semifinals game tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.  Trinity sophomore RS Eva Lekovic (San Marino, Calif.) had a team-high nine kills.  Set scores were, 25-19, 25-19, 25-17.

The first set was close until the end with Trinity taking an 18-17 lead on a kill by sophomore MH Isabella Caffuzzi (Brooklyn, N.Y.) to cap off a 4-0 run.  Tufts responded and scored six points in a row until another Caffuzzi kill made the score, 23-19, in the Jumbos' favor.  Maya Lightfoot ended it with back-to-back kills for Tufts.  The Jumbos used an early 7-0 run to take control of the second set, never leading by less than four points after going ahead, 9-3. 

Trinity came back from a 6-1 hole early in the third set, including two on kills by Lekovic and junior co-captain OH Lola Craig (Los Angeles, Calif.) and one on an ace by senior co-captain MH Molly Bernstein (Oakland, Calif.).  Tufts used a 6-0 run to pull ahead, 14-9, but the Bantams pulled to within three points at 15-12 on a kill by sophomore OH Ava Boloyan (American Canyon, Calif.).  The Jumbos held Trinity off the rest of the way and won the final set on the 13th kill of the match by Grace Legris. 

Craig finished with seven kills and just one error for Trinity, while Caffuzzi added six kills and a pair of blocks.  Rookie S Caroline Howell (Houston, Texas) notched 13 assists and sophomore L Julia Torre (Cape Elizabeth, Maine recorded 18 digs.  Tufts had a .312 hitting percentage as a squad and Maddie Yu registered 25 Jumbo assists.