WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University volleyball team cruised to a straight-set win over visiting Westfield State University in the regular-season finale for both teams today. Set scores were 25-17. 25-19, 25-17.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis: 10-15.
• Westfield State: 10-18.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Judges never trailed in the first set, jumping out to a 5-1 lead and never looking back as they out-hit Westfield State, .484 to .154, en route to the 25-17 win.
• The second set saw the Owls get off to the quick start, taking a 5-2 lead that still held at 11-9. Brandeis answered with five points in a row on the serve of sophomore setter Julia Liang (Sugar Land, Texas/Clements), with junior Arianna Jackson (Lewis Center, Ohio/Oletangy Orange) picking up two kills and senior Rita Lai (Sugar Land, Texas/Clements) adding a kill and a block. The Judges kept the visitors at bay the rest of the way, taking a 25-19 win.
• Set number three saw Brandeis get off to an 8-1 lead thanks to the serve of first-year Ava Ferrigno (Boca Raton, Fla./Boca Raton Community). The lead grew as large as 11 points at 16-5 before the Judges took the final set, 25-17. Brandeis had a major hitting edge in the third set as well, .382 to .154.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Brandeis was paced offensively by sophomore Anna Ertischek (Montgomery, Texas/Lake Creek), who had 16 kills, four shy of her career-high. She had just two errors in 29 attacks for a .483 hitting percentage.  
• Jackson added nine kills and a team-high four blocks.
• Liang added 37 assists, seven shy of her career-best, which was set last time out against Wellesley but took five sets to amass. She helped the Judges to a .349 team hitting percentage, their second-highest mark of the season.
• Senior Ella Pereira (Redondo Beach, Calif./Rolling Hills Prep) had a match-high 11 digs and also added six kills with just one error in nine attacks.

SENIOR DAY

• Prior to the game, the Judges honored their four seniors who were appearing their final home matches. They were
  • #3, a setter from Cinicnnati, Ines Grom-Mansencal;
  • #6, a defensive specialist from Rendono Beach, Calif., Ella Pereira;
  • #7, a middle hitter from Sugar Land, Texas, Rita Lai; and
  • #11, a defensive speciast from Manhasset, New York, Gracie Lerian.

UP NEXT

• The Judges are the seventh seed in next weekend's University Athletic Association tournament at Emory, and they will meet seventh-ranked NYU in the quarterfinals.