WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University volleyball team opened its 2022 campaign with an emphatic three-set win over visiting Roger Williams University this evening, winning by scores of 25-13, 25-14, 25-16. The Judges never trailed by more than two points in the entire match.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 1-0; Roger Williams, 0-1

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Judges raced out to a 4-1 lead in the first set, then blew things open when graduate transfer Sydney Bent (Raleigh, N.C. / Ransom Everglades School (Fla.)) served eight straight points to push the lead to 14-4. Brandeis closed it out, 25-13.
• The second set was tied at 9-all when an RWU attack error gave Brandeis the lead. Junior Ella Pereira (Redondo Beach, Calif. / Rolling Hills Prep) served the next seven points, stretching the advantage to 16-9 as the Judges closed on a 16-5 run to take the second, 25-14.
• Set three was the tightest of the night, featuring 10 ties and six lead changes. The home team closed strong again, scoring 13 of the last 17 points to turn a 12-12 set into a 25-16 win. Sophomore Lara Verstovsek (Houston, Texas / Episcopal) had a run of seven serves in a row in the crucial streak.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Verstovsek led all players with 13.5 points. She had a match-high 10 kills and just three errors in 19 attempts for a .368 hitting percentage. She also had three block assists and two aces.
• It was her 15^th career match with double-digit kills.
• Rookie Anna Ertischek (Montgomery, Texas / Lake Creek) added seven kills, while three other players had five for the Judges.
• Bent, a former All-ACC player at Notre Dame, had a fine all-around match, with five kills, four aces and three block assists.
• Junior Rita Lai (Sugar Land, Texas / Clements) had five kills and a match-high five blocks (two solo), while sophomore Arianna Jackson (Lewis Center, Ohio / Oletangy Orange) had a career-high five kills in her first career start. Four of those came in the first set.
• Junior setter Ines Grom-Mansencal (Cincinnati, Ohio / Wyoming) paced the offense with 29 assists and a team .306 hitting percentage (32 K-10 E-72 TA), while also tying with senior libero Stephanie Borr (Westfield, N.J. / Westfield) for match-high honors with seven digs.

UP NEXT

• The Judges take on Colby-Sawyer College tomorrow at 11 a.m. and Worcester State at 1 p.m. CSC defeated WSU in five sets tonight, 15-25, 25-16, 16-25, 25-18, 15-6.