WALTHAM, Mass. – The Brandeis University volleyball team had a balanced attack, with three different players registering double-digit kills, as the Judges defeated visiting UMass Boston, 3-0, in Red Auerbach Arena tonight. Set scores were 25-23, 25-23, 25-18.

TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 3-1.
• UMass Boston, 0-4.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The first two sets were separated by a mere four points, with the Judges winning both, 25-23.
• In the opening stanza, no team took a lead larger than three points, achieved by Brandeis at 17-14 after a Colette Ejang (Los Angeles, Calif./Taft Charter School) service ace.
• UMass Boston answered with an 8-4 run, taking a 22-21 lead, their first since 11-10.
• The Judges scored four of the set's final five points, including two kills by senior Anna Ertischek (Montgomery, Texas/Lake Creek).
• Brandeis opened the second set on a 5-0 run thanks to the serve of sophomore Alexa Ho (Queens, N.Y./Francis Lewis).
• UMB closed the gap and tied things up at 10-all, but Ho's serve again helped the Judges take control. After she picked up a kill with a quick attack to give Brandeis an 11-10 lead, she served the next five points in a row, including three-straight kills by sophomore Madison Haft-Abromovitch (Stratford, Conn./Rye Country Day School) as the Judges established a 16-10 lead.
• The Beacons rallied again, using a 7-2 run to claim a 19-18 lead after a bad set by the Judges.
• The sides traded points until UMass Boston led 22-21 before Brandeis closed on a 4-1 streak. Haft-Abromovitch added two more kills and Ertischek and first-year Claudia Aber (Los Angeles, Calif. Taft Charter School) combined for a block to finish things up.
• The visitors took their largest lead of the match early in the third set, going ahead, 8-5, on a/Mary Matthews service ace.
• The Judges responded with four points in a row, reclaiming the lead on a service ace by junior Ava Ferrigno (Boca Raton, Fla./Boca Raton Community).
• A service error helped UMB tie the set at 9-all, but Brandeis rattled off another four-point run that saw Ho pick up two assists, a block and a kill, the last putting them ahead, 13-9.
• Brandeis would never trail again, closing things out on a kill by Lilly.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• For the third time in four matches, Brandeis had three players reach 10 kills. Lilly and Haft-Abromovitch each had 13, while Ertischek had 10.
• Kennedy was particularly effective, making just two errors in 23 attempts for a .478 hitting percentage. Ertischek finished at .280 (10 K-3 E-25 TA), while Haft-Abromovitch hit .219 (13- K-6 E-32 TA).
• Ho had a terrific all-around match with 33 assists, five digs and one block assist. She quarterbacked the Judges to a season-best .318 hitting percentage (47 K-13 E-107 TA).
• Ferrigno had a team-high 16 digs, while first-year Lara Demoraes (Plantation, Fla./Cypress Bay) had nine. Ejang led the net defense with two blocks (one solo).
• With the win, Brandeis ties the all-time series with UMass Boston, 9-9.

UP NEXT
Brandeis heads to Cambridge this weekend for the MIT Invitational. The Judges face the #8-ranked hosts on Friday evening