MEDFORD, Mass. – Wellesley volleyball finished 3-1 at the Tufts Invitational this weekend, taking second just behind Union College (N.Y.) in the two-day, round-robin event.  Union dropped only one set en route to the title, while lifting its record to 25-1.  The Blue, who were tied with Tufts with a 3-1 match record, edged out the hosts for second place based on sets won and lost. Wellesley, now 15-4, is currently ranked #3 in New England.

The Blue opened the day with a hard-fought 3-1 (25-20, 17-25, 25-21, 25-21) loss to Union.  Jessica Duff (Milton, Abingdon, UK) led the Blue at the net with 17 kills and four blocks.  Samantha Du (Houston, Tx)added 14 kills and 5 blocks, while Alice Cummings (Tallahassee, Fla.) recorded a double-double, with 10 kills and 13 digs.  Victoria Peng (Diamond Bar, Calif.) distributed 46 assists in the loss. 

The Blue rebounded in the afternoon, snagging a key regional win over a strong Colby-Sawyer squad.  The Chargers entered the tournament with an 11-5 record, 11-1 against regional opponents, but the Blue captured the first two sets (31-29, 25-14) for a 2-0 lead.  The Chargers re-grouped to the take the third game 25-21, but Wellesley snatched the fourth and deciding set 25-20.  Four Wellesley hitters reached double figures in kills, with Duff leading the way with 12.  Heather Mellquist (Baltimore, Ohio) added 11, while Cummings and Du tallied ten each. Mellquist and Duff paced the Blue in blocking as well, with four and three, respectively.  Four players recorded double figure digs. Peters led the Blue with 16, followed by Cummings with 13, and Peng and Duff with ten a piece. Peng also dished out 46 assists in the victory.

Du was named to the All-Tournament team, amassing 43 kills in 91 attempts with only 10 errors for a .363 hitting percentage.  She also tallied 12 blocks on the weekend.

Wellesley returns to action Tuesday, October 7, at 7:00 p.m., when they host cross-town rival Babson College.