WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University volleyball team rallied from a two-set deficit today to defeat visiting Springfield College, 3-2, in Red Auerbach Arena this afternoon. Set scores were 18-25, 16-25, 25-17, 25-20, 15-10.
TEAM RECORDS
- Brandeis, 7-4.
- Springfield, 5-2.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Pride kept the Brandeis offense in check through the first two sets. They held the Judges to just six kills with seven errors in the first set (-.031), and 12 kills and seven errors in the second (.192). Meanwhile, SC hit.118 in the first set and .333 in the second to take the 2-0 lead, 25-18, 25-16.
- Springfield's Riley Donahue had 10 kills through two sets, while Brandeis's leaders, junior Anna Ertischek (Montgomery, Texas/Lake Creek) and first-year Kennedy Lilly (Atlanta, Ga./Eagle's Landing Christian Academy) only had five each.
- The Judges turned things around in the third set, leading wire-to-wire with 15 kills and just two errors for a .464 hitting percentage. They held the visitors to a .107 clip (9 K-6 E-28 TA) to win it 25-17.
- Ertischek matched her kill total from the first two sets in the third with five, while senior Lara Verstovsek (Houston, Texas/Episcopal) also had five after totaling just four in the first two sets.
- Brandeis also doubled their block output in the third set with three, including two by senior Alina Nowakowski (Mansfield, Mass./Mansfield).
- Brandeis never trailed in the fourth set as well, though SC did tie things up four times. The last time came at 9-all, but Ertischek produced kills on three of the next four points as the Judges reestablished a 13-9 lead and never looked back. They were up by as many as nine points at 22-13 before hanging on for the 25-20 win.
- Brandeis got off to a quick start in the fifth set, as Springfield hit long on the first three points.
- The Pride rebounded and took an 8-6 lead at the changeover thanks to a block.
- Senior Tatiana Wainer (Miami, Fla./Schech Hillel Community) stopped the bleeding with a kill, setting the stage for sophomore Olivia Nirode (Keller, Texas/Keller) to step to the service line.
- Nirode served six straight points, including a pair of service aces and two blocks by Wainer, that put Brandeis ahead, 12-8.
- Springfield won the next two points to get within 12-10, but Wainer served three in a row to clinch the 15-10 victory as the Judges evened their record at 2-2 in five-set matches. Brandeis rallied force a fifth against Bowdoin last night, but fell, 16-14, in the last set.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Verstovsek and Ertischek tied for team-high honors with 15 kills each. Verstovsek had 11 digs for her second double-double in a row, sixth of the season and 24th of her career, and added four block assists.
- Ertischek's 15 kills came on 27 attacks without an error for a .556 hitting percentage.
- Lilly finished with eight kills.
- Nowakowski led the net defense with five blocks (one solo), while Wainer matched Verstovsek with four block assists.
- First-year libero Isabella Irizarry (Guaynabo, P.R./Cupeyville School) had 13 digs.
- Nirode finished with seven service aces, the team's season-high performance, and also had 11 digs.
- First-year setter Samantha Lin (Menlo Park, Calif./Menlo-Atherton) had 25 assists and classmate Alexa Ho (Queens, N.Y./Frances Lewis) had 14.
- This marked the third-straight win for the Judges over Springfield after the Pride had won 12 in a row in the series.
- Earlier in the day, SC had defeated Bowdoin in four sets.
UP NEXT
- The Judges play a tri-match next Saturday afternoon at Babson with Endicott starting at 11 a.m.
