WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University volleyball team took the first set off visiting Tufts, but the Jumbos rallied to win the next three to take a non-conference victory in Red Auerbach Arena tonight. Set scores were 19-25, 25-18, 25-21, 25-18.
TEAM RECORDS
- Brandeis: 7-10.
- Tufts: 10-7.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The first set was a back-and-forth affair featuring 10 ties and four lead changes.
- Neither team led by more than three points until late in the set, when Brandeis rattled off six straight points on the serve of sophomore Julia Liang (Sugar Land, Texas/Clements). That pushed an 18-17 lead to 24-17. After the Jumbos fought off the first two set points, senior Rita Lai (Sugar Land, Texas/Clements) had a kill to give Brandeis the 25-19 win.
- The second set was decided early when Tufts went on a 6-0 run to take an 8-3 lead. The Judges were never able to get any closer than three points the rest of the way as the Jumbos took it, 25-18.
- Set three saw five ties and three lead changes. Liang and rookie Olivia Nirode (Keller, Texas/Keller) served the Judges to a 7-1 lead, but the visitors answered with five in a row to get back within one.
- Brandeis maintained the lead until a 5-0 streak from Tufts changed an 11-8 lead into a 14-11 deficit for the Judges. The hosts bounced back and took a 19-16 lead on a kill from junior Lara Verstovsek (Houston, Texas/Episcopal), but Tufts closed the set by winning 9 of the last 11 points to take it, 25-21.
- Tufts led wire-to-wire in the fourth set, jumping out to a 5-1 lead. They extended it to 20-9, but Brandeis battled back to close within six by avoiding the Jumbos' first four match points, but the visitors closed it out, 25-18.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Brandeis was paced by sophomore Anna Ertischek (Montgomery, Texas/Lake Creek), who had 14 kills and a .250 hitting percentage.
- Verstovsek added 11 kills, one service ace and two blocks (one solo).
- Junior Tatiana Wainer (North Miami Beach, Fla./Schech Hillel Community) notched a career-high nine kills and had just one error in 17 attacks for a .471 hitting percentage.
- Liang played all four sets for the second time in her career and recorded a career-high 35 assists.
- Senior Ella Pereira (Redondo Beach, Calif./Rolling Hills Estate) topped the defensive effort with 14 digs.
UP NEXT
- The Judges will meet Emerson College on Friday evening at 5 p.m. in non-conference action before hosting the third University Athletic Association Round Robin on Sunday starting at 10 a.m. against Emory.