WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University volleyball team celebrated their senior class with a pre-match ceremony and the Judges followed up with a decisive 3-0 win over visiting Wellesley in a non-conference match in Auerbach Arena today. Set scores were 25-14, 25-14, 25-13.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 10-8.
• Wellesley, 6-4.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• None of the three sets saw more than two ties or lead changes, as the Judges were extremely efficient on attack. They hit a season-high .441 for the match with 38 kills and just 8 errors in 68 total attacks.
• Brandeis made just one error in the first set (13 K-1 E-26 TA) for a .462 percentage, and in the third set the Judges hit .500 (13 K-3 E-20 TA), their best single set of the season.
• Defensively, Brandeis held Wellesley to just .011 hitting (23 K-22 E-90 TA) and had 33 digs compared to just 19 for the Blue.
• Individually, the Judges were paced by senior Lara Verstovsek (Houston, Texas/Episcopal) and junior Anna Ertischek (Montgomery, Texas/Lake Creek), who each had 10 kills. Verstovsek hit .368 for the match, with three errors in 19 attacks, while Ertischek hit .467, with three errors in 15 attacks.
• Senior Tatiana Wainer (Miami, Fla./Schech Hillel Community) added five kills without an error on eight attacks, while also contributing two block assists and two service aces.
• Wellelsey's Kate Giang had a match-high 14 kills, hitting .257, but only one other player hit in the positive for the visitors, Rachel Xu with a .167 percentage (2 K-1 E-6 TA).
• First-year Isabella Irizarry (Guaynabo, P.R./Cupeyville School) had a match-high 10 digs, while Verstovsek added eight. Kaija Kunza-Hoeg had seven digs for the Blue.
• First-year Alexa Ho (Queens, N.Y./Francis Lewis) and junior Julia Liang (Sugar Land, Texas/Clements) split setting duties for the Judges, finishing with 15 and 13 assists, respectively.

SENIOR DAY

• Before the match, the Judges honored their four seniors who were playing in their next-to-last home match. They were:
  • Outside hitter Lara Verstovsek (Houston, Texas/Episcopal);
  • Middle blocker Tatiana Wainer (Miami, Fla./Schech Hillel Community);
  • Middle hitter Arianna Jackson (Lewis Center, Ohio/Oletangy Orange); and
  • Middle blocker Alina Nowakowski (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield).

UP NEXT

• The Judges travel to Medford, Mass., to take on Tufts on Tuesday, October 8, at 6 p.m.