Box Score WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.—Sophomore Isabella Allen (Williamsville, N.Y.) led all players with 13 kills and senior Erin Gray (Oakland, Calif.) added 12 kills and three blocks to help Babson College defeat Tufts University in four sets (26-24, 25-23, 22-25, 25-18) to begin play at the New England Challenge inside Chandler Gymnasium on Friday night. 

With the win, Babson improves to 20-2 on the year. Tufts, which had its four-match winning streak halted, is now 10-8 overall. 

First-year Natalie Molendyk (Danville, Calif.) provided eight kills and classmate Zoe Ackerman (Aurora, Colo.) finished with 28 assists, seven digs, five kills, two aces and two blocks to lead the Beavers. Senior Lulu McShane (Glencoe, Ill.) recorded a season-high seven blocks, sophomore Roz Cabuena (Kailua, Hawaii) tied for match-high honors with 28 digs and classmate Sophia Shaw (Novato, Calif.) chipped in with 11 digs in the win. 

Senior Rileigh Farragher (Evanston, Ill.) and first-year Emma Heckman (San Diego, Calif.) both had 10 kills and first-year Claire Castor (Carmel, Ind.) and senior Tori Goldin (Califon, N.J.) produced eight kills apiece for the Jumbos. Senior Megan Harrison (Cleveland, Ohio) finished with 28 digs and classmate Maddie Yu (San Diego, Calif.) led two players in double figures with 22 assists. 

The Green and White trailed by as many as seven in the opening set and was down 22-18 before getting back-to-back kills by Allen and Ackerman, an ace from senior Olivia Leinenweber (Neptune Beach, Fla.) and a block by McShane to tie things up. Kills by Allen and Gray made it 24-24 and the Beavers followed up an attack error by Tufts with a block by Gray and first-year Hailey Fouche (Montclair, N.J.) on set point to steal the opening game. 

Babson raced out to a 17-9 lead in the second before holding off a furious rally by the Jumbos to take a two-set advantage. Heckman bookended a six-point run that included four errors by the Beavers to put Tufts in front 22-21. The Green and White answered right back with a kill by Ackerman and two straight blocks by McShane for a 24-22 lead. Gray's fourth kill of the stanza then closed things out two points later. 

The Jumbos jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead in the third and took advantage of three straight aces by first-year Bridget Lonergan (Verona, N.J.) to extend the margin to 13-7. The Beavers took advantage of four errors and a kill by Allen as part of a five-point run to get as close as 22-20 before Heckman put away a pair of kills to help Tufts force a fourth set. 

Babson trailed 14-10 in the fourth before embarking on a 9-1 run that included three kills from Molendyk, another by Allen and a Cabuena service aces to seize command of the frame. Tufts would get as close as two at 19-17 but Allen provided a pair of kills and Stelter served up consecutive aces to finish off the victory. 

Both teams are back in action beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday as Babson faces Williams and Middlebury, while Tufts takes on Springfield and MIT. 

MATCH NOTES
•    The Beavers have split their last four matches with the Jumbos since 2019. 
•    Babson held Tufts to its lowest hitting percentage (.054) since September 22, 2017, in Friday's win, and is 17-0 this season when its foes have a hitting percentage of .150 or lower. 
•    The Green and White has been victorious in 36 straight matches when winning the opening set. 
•    The Beavers have now won 20 or more matches in six consecutive seasons going back to 2017.