WALTHAM, Mass. – For the second time this season, the
Brandeis volleyball team rallied from two sets down to win, as the
Judges defeated Endicott College, 3-2, in Red Auerbach Arena. Four
of the five sets were decided by two points, as the hosts hung on
for a 24-26, 23-25, 25-23, 25-14, 15-13 victory.
Brandeis (8-2) opened just about every set strongly, but
Endicott (7-2) was able to rally in each of the first two. The
Judges were ahead 5-2 early in the first thanks to three early
kills by senior outside hitter Paige Blasco
(Greeley, Colo./Frontier Acad.), but the Gulls rallied, scoring 11
of the next 13 points to claim a 13-7 lead on a kill by senior
outside hitter Brittany Phillips (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury).
Brandeis eventually rallied to tie the set at 21-21 on a tip kill
by rookie setter Yael
Einhorn (Cherry Hills, N.J./Cherry Hill East). The
teams traded the next six points to 24-24 before a pair of Brandeis
errors gave the visitors the first set, 26-24.
In the second set, the Judges went ahead, 9-4, after a tip by
rookie outside hitter Si-Si
Hensley (Fullerton, Calif./Troy). The Gulls cut the
lead to 9-8 on an Ally Murphy (Gilford, N.H./Gilford) service ace,
but Brandeis held off the charge and eventually took a 20-14 lead
on a kill by sophomore opposite Lauren
Berens (Boulder, Colo./Fairview). Endicott head coach
Tim Byram called a timeout at that point, and the visitors
responded, closing on an 11-3 run that featured two more aces from
Murphy and concluded with two Phillips kills to give them a 25-23
set and a 2-0 lead.
After the Judges raced out to a 7-1 lead in the third set off an
Endicott error, the Gulls responded once again with a 9-2 streak of
their own. Two kills by sophomore Falyn Torelli (Pelham,
N.Y./Pelham) cut the lead to one, and two more by Phillips gave the
visitors a 10-9 lead. Brandeis answered with 11 of the next 16
points, with senior middle blocker Nicole Smith
(Marietta, Ga./Alan C. Pope) contributing three kills, a block
assist and a service ace as the Judges took a 20-15 lead that they
did not relinquish. Another Smith kill wrapped up the set, 25-23,
giving the Judges life.
Set four saw Endicott establish an 8-6 lead after senior Amy
Grigg's (Vernon, Conn./Rockville) solo block, but a Gull service
error started an 8-0 run that made the lead 14-8, Judges. They
eventually went ahead, 22-10, as Smith had three kills and four
blocks, including two solo, to help the hosts win, 25-14, and knot
the match at 2-2.
In the fifth and decisive set, Brandeis again raced out to the
lead, 8-3, including four in a row on the serve of senior
Abby
Blasco (Greeley, Colo./Frontier Acad.). Abby also had
two kills in the decisive set, while twin sister Paige had five for
a third of the team's points, including the match-clinching
tip.
For the match, Paige Blasco led all players with 23 kills, while
Smith added 15 for the Judges. Smith also had four blocks (two
solo) and three service aces. For Endicott, Phillips finished with
16 kills, while Torelli had nine. Phillips also led the Gulls with
25 digs for the double-double, while Murphy had 20 digs and a
team-high three service aces.
Brandeis is off until next Tuesday, when they travel to Tufts,
the top-ranked team in New England. Endicott heads to UMass Boston
on Thursday evening.
