The Firedogs saw their season come to an abrupt end after suffering a sweep at the hands of their archrivals in the first round of the NESCAC Playoffs.

The Ephs took the match in convincing fashion, winning the first two sets by scores of 25-19 and 25-15. The Jeffs would battle back and make the third set close, but the Ephs took that one, too, 25-22.

Playing at Conn. College, the Jeffs were unable to replicate the earlier-season success they had had against Williams at home. For the Ephs, Ryan Farley dominated the stat sheet, racking up a match-high 44 assists. By comparison, Nicole Carter ’16, one of the Firedogs’ main contributors all season, led the Jeffs with a more modest 25 assists.

Williams’ Raea Rasmussen topped all players with 15 kills, while Emily Doll added 11; Emily Waterhouse ’13, playing in her final game, paced the Jeffs in the kills category with 10. With a 14-9 overall record, the Firedogs did not manage to gain an at-large bid into the NCAA Div. III Tournament and so must wait until next fall to hit the floor again.

Although the Firedogs’ four graduating seniors — Waterhouse, Kristin Keeno, Callie Nelson and Abigail Hunter — would have liked to see their careers end more ceremoniously, they can nonetheless looked back on their time as Jeffs with fondness. Over the past four years, this crop of talented seniors led their team to a combined 79-28 record, helping add to the illustrious legacy of their coach, Sue Everden.

Speaking of Coach Everden: the leader of the Firedogs expressed gratitude toward her seniors and their contributions over the course of their careers.

“It was an outstanding run for the four seniors,” she said, “including their tremendous leadership this year. They are an awesome group of individuals and players, and they will truly be missed next season.”