WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University volleyball team posted a season-high .359 hitting percentage tonight as the Judges defeated visiting Endicott College, 3-1, in Red Auerbach Arena. Set scores were 25-17, 17-25, 25-17, 25-22.
TEAM RECORDS
- Brandeis: 9-14.
- Endicott: 11-13.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Judges raced out to the lead with a first-set win as they outhit Endicott .379 to .115. The Gulls were ahead, 9-5, when Brandeis scored 10 unanswered points on the serve of junior Lara Verstovsek (Houston, Texas/Episcopal). With a 15-9 lead, the Judges were able to pull away, scoring five of the set's final six points for a 25-17 win.
- In an very well-played second set, the teams combined for 27 kills and just two errors in 42 attacks for a combined .595 hitting percentage. Endicott came out just ahead at .667 (15 K-1 E-21 TA) to overcome Brandeis's .524 mark (12 K-1 E-21 TA), claiming a 25-17 win to even things up.
- In the third set, both teams had their lowest attack numbers of the match, but Brandeis's .280 percentage (11 K-4 E-25 TA) outpaced Endicott's .000 (8 K-8 E-29 TA). Brandeis trailed, 12-10, but went on a 9-2 run that featured three kills from sophomore Anna Ertischek (Montgomery, Texas/Lake Creek) to take a 19-14 lead that they wouldn't relinquish in taking a third-straight set decided by a 25-17 score.
- Brandeis raced out to leads of 5-1 and 9-3 in the second set. Endicott was able to pull within one at 15-14 and eventually tie things up at 16-all, but a Tatiana Wainer (North Miami Beach, Fla./Schech Hillel Community) kill sparked a 7-0 run that included four Verstovsek kills and two kills and a block by junior Arianna Jackson (Lewis Center, Ohio/Oletangy Orange).
- Brandeis had a chance to make it another 25-17 set, but Endicott staved of five match points before Verstovsek ended things with a kill, making it 25-22 in the fourth.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Verstovsek led all players with 18 kills. She had just three errors in 32 attacks for a .469 hitting percentage. She also added two service aces and two block assists to finish with 21 points.
- Ertischek added 14 kills and had just one error in 31 attempts for a .419 percentage.
- The Judges used a 6-2 lineup and saw sophomore Julia Liang (Sugar Land, Texas/Clements) finished 29 assists and classmate Megan Margolis (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) add 16.
- Senior libero Ella Pereira (Redondo Beach, Calif./Rolling Hills Prep) led the defense with 12 digs, while Margolis added eight.
- Jackson led the net defense with six blocks (one solo) as the Judges finished with 10 blocks to just four for the visitors.
UP NEXT
- Brandeis plays its final non-conference road match Thursday at 6 p.m. at Wellesley College before returning home on Saturday to take on Westfield State at 2 p.m. for Senior Day.