ATLANTA, Ga. – The Brandeis University volleyball team saw its 2023 campaign come to a close today with a 3-0 loss to the University of Rochester in the seventh-place match at the University Athletic Association tournament held at Emory University. Set scores were 25-23, 25-16, 25-20.
TEAM RECORDS
- Brandeis: 10-18.
- Rochester: 19-11.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The first set was a tight affair that featured 14 ties and seven lead changes. No team held an advantage larger than three points, which Rochester achieved after winning the first three of the match.
- With neither team able to pull away, UR used a pair of timeouts strategically to slow Brandeis momentum. The Judges led 12-10 after a block by junior Arianna Jackson (Lewis Center, Ohio/Oletangy Orange) and sophomore Anna Ertischek (Montgomery, Texas/Lake Creek), but Rochester won the next three out of a timeout.
- Brandeis established another two-point lead at 20-18 on a kill by Jackson, but another Rochester TO saw the 'Jackets tie the set again. Brandeis went back ahead, 22-20 on an Ertischek kill, but Rochester closed on a 5-1 run to take it, 25-23.
- In the second set, Brandeis jumped out to a 5-1 lead on two UR errors and kills by three different Judges.
- Rochester responded with a 7-1 run of their own, taking an 8-6 lead that they would not relinquish, going on to a 25-15 win as Brandeis hit in the negative for the stanza.
- The third set was a battle of runs early on, with Brandeis erasing deficits of 3-1, 6-3 and 10-6. A mini-run by Rochester gave the Yellowjackets a 13-11 lead, and the teams traded points until it was 19-17 in favor of UR.
- Rochester won the next two points to go ahead, 21-17, and though Brandeis battled back to within two at 21-19, the 'Jackets closed on a 4-1 run to take the final set, 25-20.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Brandeis was led by Ertischek who had 12 kills, reaching double digits for the 12th time in the last 13 matches. Junior Lara Verstovsek (Houston, Texas/Episcopal) and junior Tatiana Wainer (North Miami Beach, Fla./Schech Hillel Community) had six kills each.
- Verstovsek led the defensive effort with 16 digs, matching a career-high, while senior Ella Pereira (Redondo Beach, Calif./Rolling Hills Prep) had 15.
- Jackson finished with four blocks, while sophomore Julia Liang (Sugar Land, Texas/Clements) had 21 assists.
