After jumping out to an impressive 4-0 record with convincing wins over non-conference opponents, the Firedogs were ready to test their ability against some NESCAC foes. They hosted a NESCAC Quad on Friday and Saturday, looking to follow a strong 2005 campaign with an even better one in 2006. Last weekend, the Firedogs proved that they are on the right track, with solid matches against Connecticut College and Wesleyan University.

Last year, Amherst and Conn. were two of five NESCAC teams that finished the regular season with a 6-4 conference record, good for third place. To the Firedogs' dismay, Amherst was given the seventh seed in the NESCAC Tournament, while the Camels were awarded fifth. On Friday, the Firedogs took the first step in avoiding that debacle this year, jumping into the NESCAC fray to emerge with a 3-0 win over Conn. and their fifth victory of the season.

"It was good to finally play some NESCAC teams," said outside hitter Jaclyn DeMais '08. "The competition with those teams is what matters most at this point. It was important to be able to compare ourselves to other teams in our conference."

True words indeed, especially with the team looking to eradicate all memory of their first-round exit from the NES-

CAC Tournament last year. Though the 'Dogs achieved a decisive win in the match against Conn., the victory was hard-fought. The Amherst team has had a problem of delivering strong play right from the start, though they are virtually unstoppable once they are warmed up to the game.

The 'Dogs hoped to use that momentum heading into their second NESCAC matchup against Wesleyan. However, the Amherst team also had a disappointing result against the Cardinals on Saturday. Though the 'Dogs put up a strong performance, and certainly made the Cardinals work during their time on the court, they came away with a heartbreaking 3-2 loss. The team didn't let the loss get them down, however, choosing to take an upbeat and positive view instead.

"The loss to Wesleyan isn't going to set us back," said DeMais. "In some ways, it's better to lose early in the season than later. Now we know what we need to improve and the specific strategies we need to make a comeback-we want revenge and do not want to experience this sort of loss again."

The 'Dogs will get their second chance at the Cardinals later in the season, when they play at the Wesleyan Invitational. Meanwhile, they have already notched another victory-a systematic and lopsided win against visiting non-conference foe Emerson College on Tuesday evening. The squad is looking forward to hosting the Amherst Classic this weekend, playing Smith College next Wednesday and improving along the way.

"We have a lot to look forward to," said DeMais. "Upcoming matches against Williams [College] and Tufts [University] will be difficult but definitely exciting."