Sports
20
INSIDE Field Hockey 18 Sailing 18
tuftsdaily.com
Football
Football
New coach, new attitudes
Increased intensity marks the beginning of the Jay Civetti era by
Alex Prewitt
Daily Editorial Board
David Lloyd’s explanation for the football team’s new mentality is historical and simple: the Greek ethos. “For the Spartan warriors, their shield was more important than the spear,” said Lloyd, a senior left tackle. “You lose the spear, you get a slap on the wrist. You lose your shield, it’s punishable by death, because you punished your teammates. That’s the attitude we have. My brothers, on the offensive line, defense, everybody: They’re more important than any-
thing.” Whatever new mindset the Jumbos have adopted — be it Spartan or Medfordian — has coincided with the promotion of interim head coach Jay Civetti, who took over shortly after Bill Samko stepped down in December following 17 years of leading the program. With the season-opener at Hamilton less than three weeks away, players are pointing to increased accountability, intensified workouts and more bonding opportunities as a sign of an attitude shift for a team coming off its worst season since 1996.
To close Saturday night’s practice, Tufts’ first upper-pad workout of the season, the Jumbos lined up on the edge of Bello Field. In unison, the players removed their chin straps and placed their helmets on the goal line, creating a graveyard of white headgear as, together by class year, they marched forward. “We look to the warriors on our right and our left with everything we do,” Lloyd said. “Basically every play, it’s for everybody else around us, and that’s the concept Coach Civetti’s brought see CIVETTI, page 18
New hires, internal restructuring for coaching staff by
Alex Prewitt
Daily Editorial Board
Interim head football coach Jay Civetti isn’t the only old face in a new place. An internal restructuring of coaching positions, as well as several outside hires, has strengthened the football team’s leadership corps and has Civetti raving about the program’s enthusiasm. “Thank goodness for these guys,” Civetti, who also became the new quarterbacks coach along with his promotion, said of his staff. “That’s why the challenges that initially existed — when he first became interim head coach in January — dissipated. The staff, the kids just love them. These guys are awesome.” Kevin Farr was hired as the defensive backs coach in April, replacing Pete Carmichael, who retired after three years with the Jumbos, taking with him 45 years of professional and Div. I experience. Then again, Farr’s pedigree is hardly lacking. He spent the past nine seasons as the defensive coordinator for Saint Lawrence University, where he helped lead the Saints to the 2010 Liberty League Championship and a first-place ranking in four defensive categories. Farr is also the special teams coordinator for Tufts. Rich Gunnell also joined Civetti’s staff as a defensive assistant for his first coaching gig after a pro career that never fully materialized. Gunnell, who played for Kansas City during the
Courtesy Don Megerle
New football head coach Jay Civetti brings a wealth of experience to his post, having played in the NESCAC and coached at the Div. I level.
see COACHES, page 17
Volleyball
Jumbos look to best last season’s by
David McIntyre
Daily Editorial Board
Coming off a season where they reached the finals of the NESCAC championship and qualified for the NCAA tournament, the women’s volleyball team will be looking to climb to even greater heights this year with a squad that will feature just three seniors. It will be a difficult task, though, to improve their results, especially considering that the team finished with an impressive 7-3 conference record and lost three seniors to graduation, most notably star outside hitter Caitlin Updike (LA ’11), who was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association Honorable Mention All-American for her standout performance last season. However, the team is confident that the current members of the squad can step up and fill the void left by last year’s graduates. “She (Updike) was obviously a great player, but we also have a great class of new freshmen,” senior outside hitter Cara Spieler said. “We have eight new members of the team, and there are some great outside hitters and some really tall girls, and they’ll be able to step up as the season goes along and as we get better as a team.” The Jumbos could have had an even better season last year had they not lost several in-conference nail-biters late in the season. In particular, the five-set loss to Bowdoin on Oct. 13 was especially heartbreaking, considering that Tufts won the first two sets and
lost the fourth set 25-22. If they had won that game, the Jumbos would have finished second in the conference instead of tying for third place, an outcome that would have given them an easier route in the conference tournament. “This is a new team,” said junior setter Kendall Lord, referring to some of the struggles in close games last year. “It’s also a young team, but it doesn’t look like it. We just have a bunch of amazing freshmen and I’m so excited to get to play with everyone and establish the team unity we need to win.” But last year’s disappointments aside, Tufts knows that it will need a new source of offensive firepower after the graduation of Updike, who led the team with 421 kills and 4.05 kills per set, despite missing a portion of the season due to injury. The Jumbos will also be without the services of graduated seniors Nancy Shrodes (LA ’11) and Kelly Engelking (LA ’11), who contributed 206 and 87 kills, respectively. However, despite the losses, a strong core team remains, including senior libero, Audrey Kuan, who led the team in service aces last season. Kuan is also the executive online editor of the Daily. Lord compiled an impressive 946 assists, and Spieler, who was second on the team, tallied 267 kills. “I think the goal for this team is to host and win NESCACs, make it to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament and win at least 30 Lane Florsheim/Tufts Daily
see VOLLEYBALL, page 17
Junior setter Kendall Lord will be tasked with creating opportunities for a talented group of first-year outside hitters.