Bowdoin Upsets Tufts, Advances to NESCAC Semifinals
The Bowdoin volleyball team won a five-set NESCAC quarterfinal over No. 3 Tufts after being swept by the same opponent a week earlier.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Volleyball
Bowdoin defeated No. 3 Tufts in five sets in the NESCAC quarterfinals on Saturday, a week after Tufts had swept Bowdoin in three sets. The win advanced Bowdoin to the NESCAC semifinals for the first time since 2023.
Why it matters
The result reshapes the NESCAC bracket and gives Bowdoin a chance to play in the conference semifinals for the first time in three seasons. It also shows how a rematch can change after a sweep earlier in the same stretch of play.
Alison Smith and Zoe Ryu combined for 35 of Bowdoin's 54 kills in the match, while Cameron Shelly tied her season high with 35 assists. Smith's 20-plus kill performance was her second of the season, and Ryu recorded her 12th double-digit kill match of the year.
The players
Bowdoin College Volleyball
The Bowdoin College women's volleyball program competes in the NESCAC, the Division III conference of New England liberal arts colleges.
Tufts University Volleyball
The Tufts University women's volleyball program competes in the NESCAC and was ranked No. 3 entering the quarterfinal.
Colby College Volleyball
The Colby College women's volleyball program is the top-seeded host of this year's NESCAC tournament semifinals.
The details
Bowdoin spent the week after the sweep preparing to approach the rematch differently, and the team won in five sets. Because the NESCAC tournament is single-elimination, a loss would have ended Bowdoin's season.
Timeline
One week before the quarterfinal, Tufts swept Bowdoin in three sets.
Saturday: Bowdoin defeated Tufts in five sets in the NESCAC quarterfinals.
Today at 5 p.m.: Bowdoin faces Colby in the NESCAC semifinals.
Season Trajectory
In the NESCAC's single-elimination postseason, Bowdoin's five-set win keeps its season alive and moves the team into a semifinal against top-seeded Colby. The result also reshuffles the conference bracket after Tufts, a No. 3 seed, was eliminated.
A Bowdoin win over Colby would send the Polar Bears to the NESCAC championship match, while a loss ends their postseason run. Fans following the bracket can track the semifinal result at 5 p.m. today to see which team advances.
The takeaway
Single-elimination postseason play rewards teams that can recover from a sweep, as Bowdoin did when it beat Tufts after losing to them the week before. Watching how a team responds to a lopsided loss can tell you as much about its season as the final score.
What happens next
Bowdoin faces top-seeded host Colby in the NESCAC semifinals today at 5 p.m.
Further reading
For more college sports coverage across the state, browse Volleyball on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Bowdoinorient.
