BABSON PARK, Mass. – The Brandeis University volleyball team opened a tri-match at Babson College with a three-set win over Endicott College, 25-18, 25-20, 25-18, but the Judges were on the wrong end of the sweep in their second match against the host Beavers, falling 16-25, 18-25, 16-25.
TEAM RECORDS
- Brandeis, 8-5.
- Endicott, 6-4.
- Babson, 8-1.
HOW IT HAPPENED, ENDICOTT (25-18, 25-20, 25-18
- Brandeis never trailed by more than one point in the entire match, a couple of times late in the second set and again early in the third set.
- The Judges played excellent defense against the Gulls, holding them to a negative hitting percentage (21 kills, 22 errors, 100 TA), while hitting .196 on their own (38 kills, 19 errors, 97 TA).
- Brandeis had 45 digs to just 29 for Endicott, and a 6-2 advantage in service aces. The Gulls' lone edge came in blocks by a 9-6 margin.
- Individually, senior Lara Verstovsek (Houston, Texas/Episcopal) and junior Anna Ertischek (Montgomery, Texas/Lake Creek) led the way offensively with identical lines of 14 kills, five errors and 26 attempts for a .346 hitting percentage.
- Verstovsek also led the team with 12 digs for her third double-double in a row, seventh of the season and 25th of her career. She added two service aces for good measure
- Senior Tatiana Wainer (North Miami Beach, Fla./Schech Community Hillel) had three blocks (one solo) to lead the net defense.
- First-year setters Alexa Ho (Queens, N.Y./Frances Lewis) and Samantha Lin (Menlo Park, Calif./Menlo-Atherton) had 17 and 13 assists, respectively.
HOW IT HAPPENED, BABSON (16-25, 18-25, 16-25)
- The hosts had the advantage in the second match, leading from wire-to-wire in the first set.
- Brandeis jumped out early in the second, winning the first three points and going up by as many as four on several occasions, the latest at 14-10. The Beavers outscored the Judges 15-4 the rest of the way to take the 2-0 advantage.
- Babson looked to take control of the third set with an 8-4 start, but a 5-0 Brandeis run that featured two kills and a block assist by Ertischek and two more kills by first-year Kennedy Lilly (Atlanta, Ga./Eagle's Landing Christian Academy). Gave the visitors a 10-9 lead.
- The Beavers responded with a pair of 6-0 runs late to finish off the sweep.
- Verstovsek added another 13 kills to her total, while Ertischek had eight and Lilly added four.
- First-year libero Isabella Irizarry (Guaynabo, P.R./Cupeyville School) had 12 digs. Ho had 16 assists, while Lin had 12.
UP NEXT
- The Judges host Plymouth State next Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. before taking on their first UAA action of the season next weekend at NYU, when they will meet the hosts as well as Chicago and Carnegie Mellon.
