CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Brandeis University volleyball team handed eighth-ranked MIT their first set loss of the season, putting two players in double figures in kills, but the Judges dropped a four-set match to the Engineers, snapping a three-match winning streak in the process. Set scores were 25-19, 25-23, 19-25, 25-14.
 
TEAM RECORDS

• Brandeis, 3-2.
• MIT, 4-0, ranked #8 in Division III by American Volleyball Coaches Association.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The first set featured nine ties and four lead changes. Brandeis had a 15-13 lead following an MIT error, but the hosts won the next four points to take the lead for good.
• Brandeis closed within 17-16 on a kill by senior Anna Ertischek (Montgomery, Texas/Lake Creek), but MIT finished the first set on an 8-3 to take the 25-19 win.
• After eight ties and a lead change in the second, the two sides were tied at 16 mid-set. MIT scored five of the next six points to go up, 21-17, but the Judges answered with four in a row, knotting set at 21-all on a service ace from sophomore Alexa Ho (Queens, N.Y. / Francis Lewis).
• MIT called timeout, and the Engineers closed the set by outscoring the Judges, 4-2, to win it 25-23 and take a 2-0 lead.
• Brandeis was terrific in winning the third set, as the Judges never trailed, and only saw one early tie at 1-1. Brandeis hit .290 in the set, making just one error to go with 10 kills in 31 attempts to take the 25-19 decision.
• They also had five blocks in the stanza, as they held MIT to a .114 hitting percentage (14 K-9 E-44 TA).
• Sophomore Madison Haft-Abromovitch (Stratford, Conn. / Rye Country Day School) had five of the team's 10 kills in the set, while twin sisters Claudia Aber and Colette Ejang (Los Angeles, Calif. / Taft Charter School) combined for 3.5 blocks in the set – two solo for Aber and three assists for Ejang.
• MIT turned the tables in the fourth, rolling to a 25-14 win. After snapping a 3-3 tie with three points in a row, the Engineers never trailed. They outhit Brandeis, .385 to .100 in the final set to clinch the win.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Brandeis put two players in kills, with Ertischek notching 12 and Haft-Abromovitch adding 11.
• Ejang was huge at the net, posting eight total blocks (one solo). Ho had four block assists, while Aber had two solo blocks and one assist. Brandeis had 11 team blocks compared to just four for the Engineers.
• Ho also had 28 assists and a team-high three service aces while contributing seven digs on defense.
• First-year Lara Demoraes (Plantation, Fla. / Cypress Bay) and junior Ava Ferrigno (Boca Raton, Fla. / Boca Raton Community) tied for team-high honors with 10 digs each.
• MIT had a 58-42 advantage in kills and 10-5 in service aces.

UP NEXT

• Brandeis will meet Connecticut College tomorrow in Cambridge at 1 PM in their second match of the MIT Invitational.