WALTHAM, Mass. – Senior
Lara Verstovsek of
Houston, Texas, from the women’s volleyball team and senior
Eli Mones of
Portland, Oregon, and the men’s soccer team have been named the Brandeis University Athletes of the Week for the week ending October 6. The Brandeis Athlete of the Week program is presented by The Chateau Restaurant and Jake N Joes Bar and Grill.
Verstovsek helped the Judges defeat Wellesley College, 3-0, in their only match of the week last week. She had 10 kills for the match and helped Brandeis reach a season-high .411 hitting percentage for a single match. Verstovsek also had a block and eight digs in the match. The set scores were 25-14, 25-14, 25-13. Since then, the Judges have added a 3-2 win over Tufts University to improve their record to 11-8.
Through 19 matches this season, Verstovsek leads the University Athletic Association with 3.73 kills and 4.45 points per set. She also ranks sixth with 0.49 service aces per set. She is 21
st in all of NCAA Division III in total kills (261), 54
th in kills per set and 16
th in total points (311.5) and 38
th in points per set.
Brandeis returns to action on Sunday, October 12
th with UAA matches against Washington University and Case Western Reserve on WashU’s campus in St. Louis.
Mones, playing in just his second game of the season for Brandeis men’s soccer, scored the game-winning goal against Carnegie Mellon in a 2-1 win on the road on Oct. 5. His goal which came just 11 seconds after CMU had tied the game, was his first since 2021 for Brandeis. It was just his second career goal with his first also being a UAA game-winner, in overtime against Emory three years ago.
With the win, Brandeis improved to 4-3-2, 1-0 in the UAA. They have since added a 4-1 over MIT to improve to 5-3-2 overall. The Judges play host to Washington University this Friday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.
This is the ninth year that the Brandeis Athlete of the Week program has been presented by The Chateau Restaurant Group. The Athlete of the Year Program highlights a top Brandeis student-athlete who has had an outstanding athletic achievement from the week prior. Each selected student-athlete will be featured on the Brandeis athletics homepage and inside the Chateau Waltham and Jake N Joes
Owned and operated by the Nocera Family, the Chateau Restaurant of Waltham opened in 1933 and set the standard for providing the tradition of Italian family dining, friendly service and quality food at reasonable prices for its customers. Located on 195 School Street, with 900 seats, the Chateau is always ready to accommodate large parties.
The Nocera Family consists of 6 brothers who have always had a passion for playing sports. In 2010, The Nocera Family launched a new concept, Jake n JOES Sports Grille. Jake n JOES Waltham opened in 2014 and is the best place to watch a game and enjoy quality food.
"Brandeis student-athletes are fantastic role models in our community,” says Chateau President Joe Nocera, “They exemplify the ideals of excellence and commitment both on and off the playing field. The Chateau Waltham and Jake n JOES Waltham are proud to partner with Brandeis Athletics to continue to enhance a positive focus within the Waltham Community."
Verstovsek is a 2021 graduate of Episcopal High School. For more information on Brandeis women’s volleyball, visit their web page at
https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/womens-volleyball.
Mones is a 2021 graduate of Grant High School. For more information on Brandeis men’s soccer visit their web page at
https://brandeisjudges.com/sports/mens-soccer.
For more information on Brandeis athletics, visit our web page at
www.brandeisjudges.com or follow us on social media on Twitter/X, Instagram and Facebook @BrandeisJudges.
