Brandeis 3, Coast Guard 0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-20)
Coast Guard 3, Keene State 1 (23-25, 25-21, 25-21, 25-18)
Brandeis 3, Keene State 0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-19)
WALTHAM, Mass. - In the opening match of a tri-match, the
Brandeis University volleyball squad had a fine team performance,
registering a season-high .408 hitting percentage and season-low
six attack errors in defeating the visiting U.S. Coast Guard
Academy Bears, 3-0. Set scores were 25-13, 25-21, 25-20. The Judges
(12-7) are ranked eighth in New England, while USCGA is seventh
(14-3).
Trailing, 9-7, in the first set, Brandeis rattled off five
straight points on the serve of senior Bridget
McAllister (Santa Clara, Calif./Presentation), including
two service aces. A kill by junior Nicole Smith
(Marietta, Ga./Alan C. Pope) gave the Judges a 12-9 lead and caused
the Bears to call timeout. The visitors clawed back to within 12-11
on a Brandeis error, but the Judges answered with a 10-1 run,
including six straight points on the serve of junior setter
Abby Blasco (Greeley, Colo./Frontier Acad.) to
claim a 22-12 lead en route to a 25-13 victory.
In the second set, Coast Guard scored the first three points,
but the Judges responded with four of the next five to knot the set
at 4-4. Neither team was able to establish momentum until late in
the action. The Bears went ahead, 16-14, on back-to-back errors,
but rookie libero Anna Homitsky (Pittsburgh,
Pa./Seneca Valley) served four in a row, including an ace that
pushed the lead to 19-16. Coast Guard called timeout at that point
and went on a 4-1 run, tying the set at 20-20 on a kill by rookie
Catherine Walker (Dearborn Heights, Mich.) and a service ace by
junior libero Jessica Anderson (Kalamazoo, Mich.). After the teams
traded side-outs on the next two points, Brandeis scored the last
four points of the set, highlighted by a back-row kill from senior
right-side player Piera Carfagno (Los Angeles,
Calif./Presentation), to take the set, 25-21.
The Judges never trailed in the third set, scoring the first
four points and never looking back. McAllister was instrumental in
closing out the match, as she registered the team's last five kills
and served the final two points to earn the 25-20 win.
Four different Brandeis players had hitting percentages of .455
or higher in the match. Junior outside hitter Paige
Blasco (Greeley, Colo./Frontier Acad.) led the team with a
double-double, registering 15 kills and 13 digs while hitting a
season-best.483 (15 kills, 1 error, 29 total attacks). McAllister
also reached double figures in kills, with 11, while hitting .455
(11 K, 1 E, 22 TA). Abby Blasco had 36 assists, a .600 hitting
percentage (6 K-0 E-10 TA) and three service aces, while Smith hit
.500 (7 K, 0 E, 14 TA) with three blocks.
Coast Guard was paced by Walker, who had 11 kills, but no other
Coast Guard player had more than four. Rookie setter Karen Matic
(Oswego, Ill.) registered a double-double with 22 assists and 13
digs, tying for match-high honors. She also had a pair of service
aces.
In the day's later matches, Coast Guard defeated Keene State,
3-1 (23-25, 25-21, 25-21, 25-18), while Brandeis defeated the Owls,
3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-19). Brandeis now owns a record of 13-7;
Coast Guard is 15-3; and Keene State is 9-14.
BRANDEIS-COAST GUARD
BOX SCORE
BRANDEIS-KEENE
STATE BOX SCORE
